How Old Is Pete Rose?

As of

Peter Edward Rose, Sr., was born on April 14, 1941, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Harry and LaVerne Rose. He was one of four children.

In his youth, Rose played baseball and football, and spent as much time as he could watching the Cincinnati Reds play at Crosley Field ... and watching his father play semi-pro football.

After high school, Rose's uncle, Buddy Bloebaum, a baseball scout, helped Pete get a tryout with the Reds, and the youngster impressed the team enough to land a minor league contract.

By 1963, the young switch-hitter had made his way to the Major Leagues, and he would star at the game's highest level through 1986 ... first with the Reds, then with the Philadelphia Phillies starting in 1979, then to the Montreal Expos in 1984, and back to the Reds later that year.

When he returned to the Reds, Rose took up the role of player-manager, the last in the Majors to date.

While back in Cincy, Charlie Hustle broke Ty Cobb's all-time record for base hits, in 1985, and finished his playing career with 4256 safeties in all.

When he hung up his playing spikes, Rose stayed on as Reds manager until 1989, when news broke that he was being investigated for gambling on baseball. While Rose denied the allegations at the time, he eventually accepted a lifetime ban from the game.

In 1991, the Hall of Fame amended their rules, rendering any player on baseball's ineligible list also ineligible for enshrinement in Cooperstown. Though Rose has applied for reinstatement several times, all such requests have been denied through 2020.

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In 2004, Rose penned (with Rick Hill) an autobiography, My Prison Without Bars (affiliate link), in which he finally admitted to betting on baseball, including the Reds ... but maintained that he never bet against the Reds.

Aside from his banishment from the game, Rose also served a five-month term in prison, in 1990-91, for income tax evasion.

Rose has a son, Pete Rose, Jr., who often appeared at games with his father while Pete Sr. was still playing, and who fashioned a brief (1997) Major League career of his own.

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