MLB icon Pete Rose shared emotional confession in final interview just weeks before his death
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Even in his final weeks, controversial baseball legend Pete Rose was hoping for a second chance in the sport that made him a household name.
The 83-year-old died at his Las Vegas home on Monday, September 30, but not before making it clear that he hadn’t given up hope on returning to Major League Baseball in some capacity.
Rose remains one of the greatest baseball players in history, yet his legacy isn't squeaky clean. In 1989, he was handed a lifetime ban from baseball for betting on the Cincinnati Reds — a team he both played for and managed.
"There’s nothing I can change about the history of Pete Rose," told Rose to KTLA in a September 7 interview, before adding, "I keep convincing myself or telling myself, 'Hang in there, Pete, you’ll get a second chance.'"
Rose believed that he still had a shot at redemption. He remarked, "This is the one country that gives you a second chance. I continue to hope that someday I’ll get a second chance, and I won’t need a third."
Pete Rose: A scandalous past and a career like no other
Unfortunately for Pete Rose, his chances of getting back into the sport were hurt not only due to his gambling issues but also by other controversies.
In 2017, the former Cincinnati Reds star's induction into the Phillies' Wall of Fame was canceled after a woman came forward claiming she had a sexual relationship with Rose when she was 14 or 15 years old. The alleged relationship began in 1973, during Rose's first stint with the Reds.
However, Rose was never charged with statutory rape as the statute of limitations had already expired. He reportedly acknowledged the relationship, defending himself by saying that he believed the girl was 16 at the time, which was the legal age of consent in Ohio.
Despite these accusations, Rose continued to make appearances at Reds games in Cincinnati, where he is still revered as one of the best players in the team’s history and remains a hometown hero.
Rose's career stats are nothing short of legendary. He is baseball's all-time leader in hits (4,256), singles (3,215), games played (3,562), and at-bats (14,053). He also boasted a career batting average of 0.303 and won three World Series titles, two with the Reds and one with the Phillies.
Over the years, Rose became a 17-time All-Star, the 1973 National League MVP, the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, and the 1975 World Series MVP. His love for the game never wavered, even after his playing days ended in 1986 when he hung up his cleats for good as a player-manager for the Reds.
Pete Rose's health struggles and final days
Pete Rose died of natural causes stemming from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner. Diabetes was also listed as a contributing factor to his death.
While there were no prior public reports that Rose was gravely ill, the Cincinnati Enquirer uncovered documents in 2018 that hinted at his declining health. These court filings — connected to his divorce — described Rose as "in poor health and disabled."
His lawyer revealed that Rose had been struggling to walk, was on blood thinners, and had undergone three heart procedures over the last five years.
The 83-year-old had spent the day before his death surrounded by some of his closest friends and teammates. He had been enjoying time with fellow members of the Reds’ World Series teams from 1975 and 1976.
A photo from the Music City Sports Collectibles and Autograph Show's Facebook page showed Rose in a wheelchair alongside former teammates Dave Concepcion, George Foster, Tony Perez, and Ken Griffey Sr.
