“Not the most talent but the biggest heart”- Alex Rodriguez opens up about Pete Rose’s death while discussing his influence on baseball
Alex Rodriguez recently reflected on former baseball player and manager Pete Rose following his death last week. On September 30, Rose passed away at the age of 83 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse, the Cincinnati Reds legend died from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In a recent episode with Fox Sports, Alex Rodriguez expressed his deep admiration for Pete Rose, saying:
“You know Papi texted me right away when the news hit last week. And this was very tough because Pete was very good to me and I learned so much about Pete Rose. But you look at Steve Jobs what he meant to computers is what Pete Rose meant to baseball. And I’m just talking about in between the lines. You had millions of kids trying to hit like him, slide like him emulate.”
Pete Rose had a 24-year MLB career from 1963 to 1986, during which he primarily played with the Cincinnati Reds. In addition to the Reds, he also played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos.
Rose holds several MLB records, including most games played (3,562), plate appearances (15,890), career hits (4,256), career singles (3,215), and career at-bats (14,053).
“He was like the perfect baseball player. And not the most talent but the biggest heart. I remember having many many conversations sometimes 90 minutes about hitting a baseball, about approach about not giving at bat away. And I will never forget he said Alex my favorite day in baseball is opening day and a double header because I got to get 10 at bats to do what I do,” Rodriguez added.
Alex Rodriguez was ‘heartbroken’ over Pete Rose’s death
After the news of Pete Rose’s death circulated, several tributes poured in, including one from Alex Rodriguez.
“Absolutely heartbroken to hear the devastating news about Pete Rose’s passing. 💔 He always brought a smile to my face when we worked together at Fox. He was true original and 1 of 1. Nobody loved baseball more than Pete and I’ll miss him terribly,” Rodriguez wrote on X.
Pete Rose had 17 All-Star appearances and was a three-time World Series champion, along with winning two Gold Glove Awards. He was named the NL MVP in 1973 and the World Series MVP in 1975.