Cause of Death for Baseball Star Pete Rose Revealed

Former Philadelphia Phillies great Pete Rose acknowledges the crowd during an Alumni Day ceremony before a game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Aug. 7, 2022. Eric Hartline/USA Today Sports via Reuters

The cause of death for Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, has been revealed, confirming the 83-year-old died of natural causes.

In a statement to The Epoch Times on Oct. 1, a spokesperson for the Clark County, Nevada, office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner said Rose died Sept. 30 from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

The heart condition stems from long-term high blood pressure that leads to atherosclerosis, or increased plaque buildup and hardening of artery walls.

He also had a “significant condition” of diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disease that develops when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or any at all, or when the body does not respond to the effects of insulin properly.

Rose died at his home in Las Vegas. He was seen in public just one day prior at a Fiterman Sports Group meet-and-greet in Nashville, participating in a photo-op with former teammates.

He played in the major leagues from 1963 to 1986 and spent almost all of his career with the Cincinnati Reds before serving as a manager for the team.

He was MLB’s hits king, an All-Star 17 times, a two-time Gold Glove winner, and won three World Series titles.

In a statement, the Reds extended their deepest condolences to his family, friends and teammates and remembered Rose for his accomplishments and love for the game.

“Our hearts are deeply saddened by the news of Pete’s passing,” said Bob Castellini, Reds principal owner and managing partner.

“He was one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen, and every team he played for was better because of him. Pete was a Red through and through. No one loved the game more than Pete and no one loved Pete more than Reds Country. We must never forget what he accomplished.”

Despite his success, Rose was faced with scandal after a full inquiry was launched into allegations he had broken baseball’s cardinal rule by placing wagers on games while he was manager of the Reds.

He was ultimately banned from baseball in 1989 by Commissioner Bart Giamatti, who expressed his disappointment and said he was determined to hold Rose accountable.

“One of the game’s greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts,” Giamatti said at a news conference at the time.

Rose denied any wrongdoing for 15 years before admitting in a 2004 autobiography that he bet on games, but reaffirmed he never bet against his team.

In the years following, Rose petitioned on multiple occasions to be reinstated into the sport but was unsuccessful and as a result was never admitted into the MLB Hall of Fame.

In 2016, the Reds voted him into the team’s Hall of Fame and retired his No. 14 that same year. Today, his statue stands outside Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.