Pete Rose, MLB's all-time hit leader who played for the Reds, Phillies, and Expos and managed in Cincinnati before being permanently banned from baseball, died on Monday at age 83.
Remembering his dominant playing career that lasted from 1963-86, baseball fans and media have relived Rose's years of endless hits as they've looked back at his impact on the sport along with the controversy surrounding him.
While his Hall of Fame case has been overshadowed by his permanent ban from MLB for betting on games he was involved with, Rose's production as a player was undeniable. Strictly looking at his numbers, Rose's longevity, bat-to-ball skills, and most of all, consistent, all-out effort on every play made him one of the best and most memorable players the sport had ever seen.
Rose began his long career with Cincinnati, a team that he also later managed before his lifetime ban. The Reds later accepted him into its team Hall of Fame. It was with the Reds that Rose burst onto the scene as an up-and-coming baseball star, earning the nickname 'Charlie Hustle' along the way.
Here's what to know about the origin of Rose's famed nickname.
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Why was Pete Rose called 'Charlie Hustle?'
As long as he was involved with baseball, both as a player and as a manager, Rose's most famous characteristic was his unrivaled competitiveness.
If there was any way to get an edge on an opponent, he'd take it. Rose's philosophy was always to find a way to win, even if it meant all-out sprints on every single play. Per ESPN, his former teammate, Joe Morgan, said Rose "played every game like it was the seventh game of the World Series."
From the start of his career, that drive to win made Rose a star, even with less pure talent, speed, or power than some other players. He'd sprint and slide head-first into bases and run players over if they stood in his way if it meant he had a better chance at winning.
That mentality is how he earned the "Charlie Hustle" nickname, which originated out of a sarcastic joke by legendary Yankees players Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.
Rose himself told the story before: In spring training of 1963, just as Rose was beginning his career in the big leagues, the Reds were facing the Yankees. Mantle and Ford watched Rose five head-first into third base, then dart home on a pop-up to score.
As Rose put maximum effort into routine plays, Ford and Mantle poked fun at him, calling Rose "Charlie Hustle" to the media after the game. It was a nickname that'd stick around for the rest of his life after it started appearing in headlines that season.
Rose never shied away from the nickname, and if anything, he continued to embrace his competitive and aggressive mentality as his years in baseball went on.
MLB all-time hit leaders
Rose's drive to win didn't just earn him the "Charlie Hustle" nickname, it also put him atop the record books as MLB's all-time hits leader.
It's a record that hasn't been challenged since Rose's playing career ended, and many baseball fans and media members consider it an unbreakable record due to the consistent play and hitting longevity it requires.
Below is MLB's top 10 all-time leaders in hits, with "Charlie Hustle" leading the way.
| Rank | Player | Hits |
| 1 | Pete Rose | 4,256 |
| 2 | Ty Cobb | 4,189 |
| 3 | Hank Aaron | 3,771 |
| 4 | Stan Musial | 3,630 |
| 5 | Tris Speaker | 3,515 |
| 6 | Derek Jeter | 3,465 |
| 7 | Honus Wagner | 3,430 |
| 8 | Carl Yastrzemski | 3,419 |
| 9 | Albert Pujols | 3,384 |
| 10 | Paul Molitor | 3,319 |
