"What Would There Be In Life Without Gambling?"

The Inside Story behind Baseball's Lifetime Ban on Pete Rose

"Say it ain't so Pete!” How did one of baseball's greatest players, Peter Rose, find himself at the center of the sport's most tumultuous scandal 

Penthouse, September 1989 By Gerald Posner

Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, September 11, 1985. The Padres' Eric Show hurls a fastball, and Pete Rose slashes at the pitch, shooting a line-drive single into left field. It was Rose's 4,192nd career hit, and before he reached first base, the capacity crowd was on its feet. For the next nine minutes, Riverfront Stadium rocked from the thunderous applause directed at the man who had broken Ty Cobb's all-time hit record, a feat many fans had considered untouchable. It is a scene that frames Rose's playing career, the culmination of a personal mission from the man whose relentless style of play earned him the nickname "Charlie Hustle." To many sports fans, Rose was not only assured a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but would be remembered as one of the game's greatest and most respected players.

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