"True original and 1 of 1" - Alex Rodriguez shares 'heartbroken' reaction to Pete Rose's demise
Alex Rodriguez was heartbroken to learn about the loss of 17-time All-Star Pete Rose, who died on Monday. It was first reported by ESPN baseball commentator Eduardo Perez on "SportsCenter," while mentioning he learned it from the MLB hits leader's son.
Rose played in the majors from 1963 to 1986, primarily with the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he won two back-to-back World Series in 1975 and 1976. The switch-hitter is the MLB all-time leader with 4,256 hits, but his legacy was undermined after he gambled on baseball games, rendering him permanent ineligibility.
On Monday, Alex Rodriguez shared a snippet of the video during their 2016's FS1 coverage for the ALCS series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians. There, Pete Rose can be seen talking about hitting techniques. Under the story, Rodriguez mourned the loss of Rose, saying:
"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."
Baseball community joins Alex Rodriguez to mourn Pete Rose's death
Joining Alex Rodriguez were several members of the MLB fraternity to mourn and pay tribute to the late Pete Rose.
Former Reds' play-by-play announcer Marty Brennaman said:
“I really don’t know what to say. I can’t believe he is gone. My two best baseball friends gone. First Joe Morgan and now Pete. Right now, it’s hard for me to come to grips with it.”
Eduardo Perez, who first broke the news, said:
"To lose Pete Rose, it’s a big hit for a lot of baseball families. It’s a tough one right now.”
Ohio governor Mike DeWine shared his condolences after the death of Pete Rose, recalling a past memory:
“Fran and I and our family are deeply saddened to learn of Pete Rose’s passing. In 1963, our parish priest Father Bertke took my dad and me to the Reds’ Opening Day game. It happened to be Pete Rose’s first game for the Reds.
“Fran and our family had the joy of watching Pete play for the Reds hundreds of times over the years. No one ever worked harder or hustled more than Pete Rose. No one ever got more out of his natural talent than Pete Rose. It was a true joy to watch him play baseball. Fran and I extended our sincerest condolences to Pete’s children and family.”
Jose Canseco, the Philadelphia Phillies, Thom Brennaman, Jayson Stark and Barry Larkin also shared their tributes and condolences for Pete Rose.