1942-
Fallen Baseball Superstar

"Charlie Hustle."

Pete Rose was named Player of the Decade for his exceptional and inspiring play in the 1970s, when he collected more hits (2,045) and scored more runs (1,068) than anyone else in the major leagues. As an integral cog in the famous Cincinnati Big Red Machine, Rose played baseball with unbridled passion and intensity. He ran to first base on walks and slid into bases headfirst. He stretched singles into doubles and challenged his teammates to do likewise. Though the name "Charlie Hustle" was intended to be derisive, Rose embraced it. According to Ron Fimrite of Sports Illustrated, "He seemed to have come from an earlier time when professionals always played hard, and out of joy, not greed." Appearances, however, can be deceptive. Columnist George Will described Rose as "a man utterly defined by his vocation — perhaps too much so. The...