WWE Hall of Famer Pete Rose passes away

Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in hits, and a member of the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, Pete Rose has passed away.

Rose, 83, died Monday in Clark County Nevada according to reports. The County medical examiner states in a statement to the Associated Press that Rose’s cause and manner of death have yet to be determined.

In WWE, Rose was a comedy foil for Kane, appearing at three consecutive WrestleManias from 1998 to 2000 in a recurring bit where Kane would attack Rose. Rose was part of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2004, the first member of the promotion’s celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame. He would return for cameo appearances through the years, including serving as Raw host during WWE’s guest host era in 2010.

In baseball, Rose played parts of 24 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, and Philadelphia Phillies from 1963 to 1986, finishing his career with 4,256 hits, the most in baseball history. In addition to the record for hits, Rose is also the all-time MLB leader in games played, plate appearances, and at-bats.

Rose was issued a lifetime ban from baseball by commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989 after an investigation revealed that Rose had placed bets on baseball while he was a player-manager for the Reds. The WWE Hall of Fame induction was something of a publicity stunt as Rose lobbied to be reinstated to MLB and for Hall of Fame consideration.

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