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Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball
A page-turning work of narrative nonfiction chronicling the incredible story of one of America’s most iconic, charismatic, and still polarizing figures—baseball immortal Pete Rose—and an exquisite cultural history of baseball and America in the second half of the twentieth century
Pete Rose is a legend. A baseball god. He compiled more hits than anyone in the history of baseball, a record he set decades ago, which still stands. At the same time, he was a working-class white guy from Cincinnati who made it; less talented than tough, and rough around the edges. He was everything that America wanted and needed him to be, the American dream personified, until he wasn’t.
In the 1980s Pete Rose came to be at the center of the biggest scandal in baseball history. Baseball no longer needed Pete Rose, and he was magnificently, publicly cast out for betting on baseball and lying about it. The revelations that followed ruined Pete, changed life in Cincinnati, and forever altered the game.
Charlie Hustle tells the full story of one of America’s most epic tragedies, the rise and fall of Pete Rose, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Drawing on first-hand interviews with Pete himself, his associates, as well we on investigators, FBI and court records, archives, a mountain of press coverage, Keith O’Brien chronicles how Pete fell so far from being America’s “great white hope.” It is Rose as we've never seen before.
This is no ordinary sport biography, but cultural history at its finest. What O’Brien shows is that while Pete Rose didn’t change, America and baseball did. This is the story of that change.
Pete Rose is a legend. A baseball god. He compiled more hits than anyone in the history of baseball, a record he set decades ago, which still stands. At the same time, he was a working-class white guy from Cincinnati who made it; less talented than tough, and rough around the edges. He was everything that America wanted and needed him to be, the American dream personified, until he wasn’t.
In the 1980s Pete Rose came to be at the center of the biggest scandal in baseball history. Baseball no longer needed Pete Rose, and he was magnificently, publicly cast out for betting on baseball and lying about it. The revelations that followed ruined Pete, changed life in Cincinnati, and forever altered the game.
Charlie Hustle tells the full story of one of America’s most epic tragedies, the rise and fall of Pete Rose, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Drawing on first-hand interviews with Pete himself, his associates, as well we on investigators, FBI and court records, archives, a mountain of press coverage, Keith O’Brien chronicles how Pete fell so far from being America’s “great white hope.” It is Rose as we've never seen before.
This is no ordinary sport biography, but cultural history at its finest. What O’Brien shows is that while Pete Rose didn’t change, America and baseball did. This is the story of that change.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published March 26, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
March 12, 2024
4.5 stars
I was too young at the time to have memories of Pete Rose’s baseball career but I do remember the controversy when he was banned due to his gambling on the sport. It’s fair to say Pete is his own worst enemy and honesty is not his strong suit. His spectacular fall from grace is on him and this nonfiction book about Pete’s childhood, professional career, and scandals makes that apparent. A well-researched book and a fascinating read even if you aren’t a big baseball fan.
Thank you to Pantheon for sending me a free advance reader’s copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
I was too young at the time to have memories of Pete Rose’s baseball career but I do remember the controversy when he was banned due to his gambling on the sport. It’s fair to say Pete is his own worst enemy and honesty is not his strong suit. His spectacular fall from grace is on him and this nonfiction book about Pete’s childhood, professional career, and scandals makes that apparent. A well-researched book and a fascinating read even if you aren’t a big baseball fan.
Thank you to Pantheon for sending me a free advance reader’s copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
March 27, 2024
I loved this book. I knew a bit about Pete Rose but this book puts it all on the page. Well researched. Wild story. A great time.
December 11, 2023
I grew up in Cincinnati, and I was 11 and 12 years old when the Reds won the World Series in 1975 and 1976. It was a wonderful time. In school, we were shown Pete Rose as an example of how even mundane tasks, like running to an almost sure out at first, can make a difference if you put every effort you have into it, and "hustle." It changed how many of us looked at even the little things we had to do. For that, plus his stellar body of work in Major League Baseball, he should go into the Hall.
The author makes a great case that Pete is not a nice guy. But that shouldn't keep him out of the Hall. A lot of people didn't like Pete, and apparently for good reason. But a lot of people didn't like Ty Cobb, and he's in the Hall.
It's obvious Pete had a gambling problem and that he bet on the Reds, but he never bet against the Reds so he could not be accused of throwing a game. To me, there's a difference.
Yes, Pete sounds like an asshole who cheated on his wife AND his mistresses, but that is not something that should keep him out of the Hall. I feel the Hall of Fame is about a player's body of work on the field, and Pete has more than earned it.
For most of the book, the author seemed objective, but I feel throwing in some unsubstantiated allegations about corking his bats was a low blow, possibly designed to argue against those of us who say that only Pete's on-field work matters.
In the end, I got the feeling the author doesn't want Pete in the Hall. I disagree. I struggle to give this book four stars when I really want to give it three, but I'm being objective and fair, and it's well-researched, so four stars it is.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
The author makes a great case that Pete is not a nice guy. But that shouldn't keep him out of the Hall. A lot of people didn't like Pete, and apparently for good reason. But a lot of people didn't like Ty Cobb, and he's in the Hall.
It's obvious Pete had a gambling problem and that he bet on the Reds, but he never bet against the Reds so he could not be accused of throwing a game. To me, there's a difference.
Yes, Pete sounds like an asshole who cheated on his wife AND his mistresses, but that is not something that should keep him out of the Hall. I feel the Hall of Fame is about a player's body of work on the field, and Pete has more than earned it.
For most of the book, the author seemed objective, but I feel throwing in some unsubstantiated allegations about corking his bats was a low blow, possibly designed to argue against those of us who say that only Pete's on-field work matters.
In the end, I got the feeling the author doesn't want Pete in the Hall. I disagree. I struggle to give this book four stars when I really want to give it three, but I'm being objective and fair, and it's well-researched, so four stars it is.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
January 31, 2024
I had preconceived notions before reading this book. The first, that Pete Rose is a bad person. The second, that Keith O'Brien was still going to be able to suck me into this story. Both of them turned out to be true!
If you somehow don't know who Pete Rose is, he was a baseball player who had the most hits ever. This is a big deal. In O'Brien's Charlie Hustle, you get to the full Pete Rose story. O'Brien has a knack for somehow taking these big stories, like his previous (and amazing) book Paradise Falls, and telling them in a way that is both interesting throughout but never manipulative. There is a version of this book where the author could excuse everything Rose did or make the argument he has lost enough. Another version focuses on his many negative actions or just his general personality.
Which brings me back to my preconceived notion. I was already knowledgeable enough about Rose to know I wouldn't like him any more than when I started. However, O'Brien made it so that when I tell people why, I have way more facts to bolster my view. In fact, I bet someone who wants to stick up for Rose would say the same. Whichever view you have, you are going to enjoy it. That's why this is such a damn good book.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by the author.)
If you somehow don't know who Pete Rose is, he was a baseball player who had the most hits ever. This is a big deal. In O'Brien's Charlie Hustle, you get to the full Pete Rose story. O'Brien has a knack for somehow taking these big stories, like his previous (and amazing) book Paradise Falls, and telling them in a way that is both interesting throughout but never manipulative. There is a version of this book where the author could excuse everything Rose did or make the argument he has lost enough. Another version focuses on his many negative actions or just his general personality.
Which brings me back to my preconceived notion. I was already knowledgeable enough about Rose to know I wouldn't like him any more than when I started. However, O'Brien made it so that when I tell people why, I have way more facts to bolster my view. In fact, I bet someone who wants to stick up for Rose would say the same. Whichever view you have, you are going to enjoy it. That's why this is such a damn good book.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by the author.)
December 17, 2023
Pete Rose is an enormous jerk. That’s common knowledge. Does he belong in the Hall? Definitely. That should be common knowledge as well.
He worked harder for what he achieved than anyone else. What he did outside of the stadium wasn’t particularly nice or legal, but not surprising. He loved baseball, and never bet against his team, so bring him in.
There’s a lot of reasons Pete should never have played baseball, but he got a few lucky breaks and then completely proved himself worthy of that break. What happened after that was pretty much guaranteed.
This book was amazingly well researched, but the reliance of certain phases, “He ran to first base, on a walk”, was really annoying and could have been a drinking game if you’re so inclined. The writing was mildly biased against him being in the Hall, which kind of surprised me.
But, I learned more about Pete, and baseball than I ever would have guessed! I really recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
He worked harder for what he achieved than anyone else. What he did outside of the stadium wasn’t particularly nice or legal, but not surprising. He loved baseball, and never bet against his team, so bring him in.
There’s a lot of reasons Pete should never have played baseball, but he got a few lucky breaks and then completely proved himself worthy of that break. What happened after that was pretty much guaranteed.
This book was amazingly well researched, but the reliance of certain phases, “He ran to first base, on a walk”, was really annoying and could have been a drinking game if you’re so inclined. The writing was mildly biased against him being in the Hall, which kind of surprised me.
But, I learned more about Pete, and baseball than I ever would have guessed! I really recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
March 15, 2024
Pete Rose is one of the most polarizing figures in baseball history. Even people who have never followed the game but know about him through the news about his gambling, conviction on tax evasion and his banishment from baseball will have an opinion on him. Whatever one’s opinion is about Rose, it is unlikely to change, even after reading this excellent biography of Rose by Keith O’Brien.
Before getting to all the excellent aspects of the book, I will the two criticisms I have out of the way. One is a passage about how baseball changed, for the worse in O’Brien’s view, during the steroid era after Rose was banished from the game in 1989. That fits the subtitle of this book and is an opinion held by many but it just felt out of place – not only where it was placed in the book but by being included at all. Rose was never believed to use steroids so why is that included in a book on him?
The other detail that was a negative is that in later passages, when mentioning the number of children Rose had, it always stated four – the four he had with his two wives. There was another daughter who Rose fathered with one of his mistresses, but aside from when she was little, she is ignored and forgotten the rest of the book. For the record, Pete Rose fathered five children, not four.
With that out of the way, time to talk about all of the good things about this book and there are plenty. The first is that O’Brien was able to get many quotes, stories and pieces of information from Rose himself. For a such a controversial figure, it was remarkable that the author was able to glean this much from Rose and it made for more authenticity. Now, whether one believes that Rose is lying, as he did in many of his public statements about his gambling, that doesn’t really matter as the reader will be getting the story from the person himself.
About that gambling – the detail with which O’Brien writes about Rose’s betting is what truly shines in this book. As many know, Rose gambled on more than just baseball. It was interesting to read about Rose’s “triple header” days in Florida during spring training. After the games, he would often head to the dog races, the horse races and the jai alai centers for placing bets. This would often take place with some characters who were less than desirable. This became known to many who befriended Rose through baseball and they had concerns. Teammates, managers and front office personnel alike all had questions about Rose’s acquaintances, but because of his success on the field, this wasn’t an issue for awhile.
That is until the FBI and the Department of Justice started investigating some of those acquaintances such as Tommy Gioiosa and Ron Peters. The latter’s testimony to the agents working for these agencies was the most damaging and O’Brien brings their stories to life in riveting pages. The same goes for the investigation by John Dowd for Major League Baseball and his report. The reader will think that they are right there in the room with Dowd and the baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti when reading about this investigation and the banishment of Rose from the game.
These are just a few of the excellent topics covered in this book. I haven’t even mentioned anything about O’Brien’s writing about Rose’s accomplishments on the field. The beginning of the book that describes the night when Rose became the all-time leader in hits will give you an idea of how he covers that aspect of Rose as well – which is excellent.
No matter how one feels about Rose as a person or whether or not he belongs in the baseball Hall of Fame, one who cares at all about him or baseball should read this book. It deals with a very controversial baseball figure fairly and leaves the reader to make the final judgement for themselves.
I was provided a review copy via NetGalley and the opinions expressed are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
Before getting to all the excellent aspects of the book, I will the two criticisms I have out of the way. One is a passage about how baseball changed, for the worse in O’Brien’s view, during the steroid era after Rose was banished from the game in 1989. That fits the subtitle of this book and is an opinion held by many but it just felt out of place – not only where it was placed in the book but by being included at all. Rose was never believed to use steroids so why is that included in a book on him?
The other detail that was a negative is that in later passages, when mentioning the number of children Rose had, it always stated four – the four he had with his two wives. There was another daughter who Rose fathered with one of his mistresses, but aside from when she was little, she is ignored and forgotten the rest of the book. For the record, Pete Rose fathered five children, not four.
With that out of the way, time to talk about all of the good things about this book and there are plenty. The first is that O’Brien was able to get many quotes, stories and pieces of information from Rose himself. For a such a controversial figure, it was remarkable that the author was able to glean this much from Rose and it made for more authenticity. Now, whether one believes that Rose is lying, as he did in many of his public statements about his gambling, that doesn’t really matter as the reader will be getting the story from the person himself.
About that gambling – the detail with which O’Brien writes about Rose’s betting is what truly shines in this book. As many know, Rose gambled on more than just baseball. It was interesting to read about Rose’s “triple header” days in Florida during spring training. After the games, he would often head to the dog races, the horse races and the jai alai centers for placing bets. This would often take place with some characters who were less than desirable. This became known to many who befriended Rose through baseball and they had concerns. Teammates, managers and front office personnel alike all had questions about Rose’s acquaintances, but because of his success on the field, this wasn’t an issue for awhile.
That is until the FBI and the Department of Justice started investigating some of those acquaintances such as Tommy Gioiosa and Ron Peters. The latter’s testimony to the agents working for these agencies was the most damaging and O’Brien brings their stories to life in riveting pages. The same goes for the investigation by John Dowd for Major League Baseball and his report. The reader will think that they are right there in the room with Dowd and the baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti when reading about this investigation and the banishment of Rose from the game.
These are just a few of the excellent topics covered in this book. I haven’t even mentioned anything about O’Brien’s writing about Rose’s accomplishments on the field. The beginning of the book that describes the night when Rose became the all-time leader in hits will give you an idea of how he covers that aspect of Rose as well – which is excellent.
No matter how one feels about Rose as a person or whether or not he belongs in the baseball Hall of Fame, one who cares at all about him or baseball should read this book. It deals with a very controversial baseball figure fairly and leaves the reader to make the final judgement for themselves.
I was provided a review copy via NetGalley and the opinions expressed are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
March 31, 2024
4.5 Stars.
Please note that this is not a nigh 700 page book per Amazon. O'Brien was so meticulous with his research and his interviews that there are over 200 pages of notes along with an extensive index.
While Pete Rose's story has been rehashed a million times - what sets this book apart from the rest of the Rose oeuvre is O'Briens access to government and FBI documents, three interviews with Pete Rose himself before Rose stopped returning his calls, and interviews with most of the gamblers in Pete's orbit.
O'Brien paints the picture of a young Pete instructed by his father not to be a "sissy," and how Pete's life as a baseball player reflected that mantra. Rose was not the most physically gifted player during his era, but his compulsion to achieve perfection with his swing propelled him to the all-time hit king. Alas, Pete's compulsive behavior stretched into other areas of his life, none of them positive.
Pete is a complex person - a gambler who accrued massive losses, a user of women and anyone willing to be a sycophant, a narcissist, and a pathological liar. However, he gave the proverbial "110 percent" in any game he played, had a beautiful swing, fan-friendly as a player, and was a working class icon who left so many fans with wonderful memories of his on the field exploits.
I will allow others to pass judgment on him as a person after reading this book. I will pass judgment on the book though. 4.5 Stars. The only thing preventing it from being 5 of 5 is this book doesn't focus much on his prison stint and the 5-10 years after it.
Whether you're a Rose obsessive or just a casual fan of baseball, I highly recommend this book.
Please note that this is not a nigh 700 page book per Amazon. O'Brien was so meticulous with his research and his interviews that there are over 200 pages of notes along with an extensive index.
While Pete Rose's story has been rehashed a million times - what sets this book apart from the rest of the Rose oeuvre is O'Briens access to government and FBI documents, three interviews with Pete Rose himself before Rose stopped returning his calls, and interviews with most of the gamblers in Pete's orbit.
O'Brien paints the picture of a young Pete instructed by his father not to be a "sissy," and how Pete's life as a baseball player reflected that mantra. Rose was not the most physically gifted player during his era, but his compulsion to achieve perfection with his swing propelled him to the all-time hit king. Alas, Pete's compulsive behavior stretched into other areas of his life, none of them positive.
Pete is a complex person - a gambler who accrued massive losses, a user of women and anyone willing to be a sycophant, a narcissist, and a pathological liar. However, he gave the proverbial "110 percent" in any game he played, had a beautiful swing, fan-friendly as a player, and was a working class icon who left so many fans with wonderful memories of his on the field exploits.
I will allow others to pass judgment on him as a person after reading this book. I will pass judgment on the book though. 4.5 Stars. The only thing preventing it from being 5 of 5 is this book doesn't focus much on his prison stint and the 5-10 years after it.
Whether you're a Rose obsessive or just a casual fan of baseball, I highly recommend this book.
April 15, 2024
I forgot how much I love reading about baseball. An incredibly well-researched account of not only Pete Rose but the way baseball evolved over the decades that he played. I learned so much about league history, in addition to Rose himself. O’Brien knows how to write exciting baseball scenes, truly bringing the game to life. Plus, he made me want to read a book about Pete Rose, a player I have hated for years! True, I was motivated to read about the scandal but this is a big overview of the player’s life so that was a lot of time to spend with Pete Rose for not caring about him. It’s excellent. I plan on pushing this book on a few of my cousins.
I was 9 years old when Pete Rose was banished from Major League Baseball for life for betting on the sport or really, let’s be honest, lying about it. While my immediate family didn’t follow baseball, my extended family were Cubs fans and loved talking about the sport whenever we were all together. I’ve always had an anti-Pete Rose bias as a result. (Let the record reflect that I’m a White Sox fan.) My relatives may have respected him as a player before the news broke—at least when the Reds weren’t playing the Cubs—but his actions crossed every line. He was persona non grata. I share all this to say I went into this having a hazy idea of what Rose did and vehemently believing he’s an asshole. Now I have full context for just how far he fell.
Pete Rose is undoubtedly one of baseball’s best players but he didn’t start out that way. His work ethic reminded me of the 2005 White Sox Grinder Ball Rules campaign: he went after every play with everything he had. He lived and breathed baseball and he played to his strengths. This also gave him somewhat of a god complex where he felt he didn’t need to follow the same rules as everyone else. He may have been an incredible player but he was also the quintessential example of toxic masculinity, a serial cheater, and a neglectful father, on top of having a gambling problem.
Rose could never admit to any of it, even when he was caught. His wife put up with his mistresses for years before reaching a breaking point. His gambling problem was an open secret in the clubhouse. He was friends with bookies despite guidelines saying otherwise. He had guys who helped him place bets on horses and other sports. And eventually he started betting on baseball, including his own team. So many people looked the other way when it came to Rose’s exploits until Sports Illustrated finally got wind of it and MLB was forced to do its own investigation. WILD. Even then, he refused to admit that he’d bet on baseball, no matter how much evidence stared him in the face. If he could have admitted to it, the League probably would have doled out a lesser punishment. It was the bald-faced lies that led to his banishment. Decades later, Rose still has a nebulous relationship with the truth about his actions. He’s more likely to cast blame elsewhere than accept that he’ll never make it to the Hall of Fame. At least, under the current rules. There are still people who feel he belongs to be there. I personally hope he stays out.
Content notes: statutory rape/ephebophilia (sexual relationship with 16 year old when Rose was in his 30s; he started calling her when she was 14 or 15; no accountability or consequences), serial infidelity (Rose had multiple mistresses and other liaisons), mistress had to sue for child support, substance abuse (multiple people), drug trafficking, steroid injections, alcoholism (player), death of father (heart attack), gambling addiction (sports, horses), fistfights, physical assault, police corruption (stole money after pulling Pete over for speeding), incarceration, misogyny, toxic masculinity, homophobia, racism, segregation, antisemitism, anti-fat bias (including fining players for being overweight), witnessed plane crash (only 12 survivors), death by heart attack (baseball commissioner), death by lung cancer (manager), baseball-related injuries, corked bats, COVID-19, Army Reserves (to avoid being drafted in Vietnam), pregnancy, divorce, STD stigma, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, cigarettes, tobacco, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, high school party was called the “Pow Wow”
I was 9 years old when Pete Rose was banished from Major League Baseball for life for betting on the sport or really, let’s be honest, lying about it. While my immediate family didn’t follow baseball, my extended family were Cubs fans and loved talking about the sport whenever we were all together. I’ve always had an anti-Pete Rose bias as a result. (Let the record reflect that I’m a White Sox fan.) My relatives may have respected him as a player before the news broke—at least when the Reds weren’t playing the Cubs—but his actions crossed every line. He was persona non grata. I share all this to say I went into this having a hazy idea of what Rose did and vehemently believing he’s an asshole. Now I have full context for just how far he fell.
Pete Rose is undoubtedly one of baseball’s best players but he didn’t start out that way. His work ethic reminded me of the 2005 White Sox Grinder Ball Rules campaign: he went after every play with everything he had. He lived and breathed baseball and he played to his strengths. This also gave him somewhat of a god complex where he felt he didn’t need to follow the same rules as everyone else. He may have been an incredible player but he was also the quintessential example of toxic masculinity, a serial cheater, and a neglectful father, on top of having a gambling problem.
Rose could never admit to any of it, even when he was caught. His wife put up with his mistresses for years before reaching a breaking point. His gambling problem was an open secret in the clubhouse. He was friends with bookies despite guidelines saying otherwise. He had guys who helped him place bets on horses and other sports. And eventually he started betting on baseball, including his own team. So many people looked the other way when it came to Rose’s exploits until Sports Illustrated finally got wind of it and MLB was forced to do its own investigation. WILD. Even then, he refused to admit that he’d bet on baseball, no matter how much evidence stared him in the face. If he could have admitted to it, the League probably would have doled out a lesser punishment. It was the bald-faced lies that led to his banishment. Decades later, Rose still has a nebulous relationship with the truth about his actions. He’s more likely to cast blame elsewhere than accept that he’ll never make it to the Hall of Fame. At least, under the current rules. There are still people who feel he belongs to be there. I personally hope he stays out.
Content notes: statutory rape/ephebophilia (sexual relationship with 16 year old when Rose was in his 30s; he started calling her when she was 14 or 15; no accountability or consequences), serial infidelity (Rose had multiple mistresses and other liaisons), mistress had to sue for child support, substance abuse (multiple people), drug trafficking, steroid injections, alcoholism (player), death of father (heart attack), gambling addiction (sports, horses), fistfights, physical assault, police corruption (stole money after pulling Pete over for speeding), incarceration, misogyny, toxic masculinity, homophobia, racism, segregation, antisemitism, anti-fat bias (including fining players for being overweight), witnessed plane crash (only 12 survivors), death by heart attack (baseball commissioner), death by lung cancer (manager), baseball-related injuries, corked bats, COVID-19, Army Reserves (to avoid being drafted in Vietnam), pregnancy, divorce, STD stigma, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, cigarettes, tobacco, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, high school party was called the “Pow Wow”
December 20, 2023
An unvarnished look into the rise, and downfall, of MLB's Hit King. All the way from childhood to high school, minors to majors, hero to villain, O'Brien got access to the real Pete Rose.
Well written and densely detailed, this is the sad, true story of a broken man who should be in baseball's Hall of Fame but because he refused for decades to apologize, he probably won't be enshrined while he's alive.
MLB will probably soon advertize sports gambling on its uniforms as often as it does on its broadcasts. There is a sad irony in that.
Put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame.
Well written and densely detailed, this is the sad, true story of a broken man who should be in baseball's Hall of Fame but because he refused for decades to apologize, he probably won't be enshrined while he's alive.
MLB will probably soon advertize sports gambling on its uniforms as often as it does on its broadcasts. There is a sad irony in that.
Put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame.
March 27, 2024
Thank you #partner Pantheon Books for my #gifted copy and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy Charlie Hustle! #PRHPartner
#PRHAInfluencer #PRHAudioPartner
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎’𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
★★★★★
Charlie Hustle is a MUST READ for any fan of baseball! The amount of research that went into this book is unmatched. As someone who lives in Cincinnati, I am very familiar with Pete Rose, but it was not until reading this book that I was able to better understand Pete Rose and his rise and fall.
I found this book to be truly fascinating. O’Brien included firsthand interviews, FBI archives, court records, and interviews with people who knew Rose the best. As someone who lives in Cincinnati, I thought I knew a lot about Pete Rose prior to reading this book. I can honestly say I learned so much more from this book and I am going to be recommending this book to all of my baseball loving friends!
🎧I alternated between the physical book, and the audiobook, narrated by Ellen Adair. I found Adair to be a phenomenal pick for this audiobook an I found her engaging and I really enjoyed my listening experience. I would highly recommend this book in either format!
#PRHAInfluencer #PRHAudioPartner
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐊𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎’𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
★★★★★
Charlie Hustle is a MUST READ for any fan of baseball! The amount of research that went into this book is unmatched. As someone who lives in Cincinnati, I am very familiar with Pete Rose, but it was not until reading this book that I was able to better understand Pete Rose and his rise and fall.
I found this book to be truly fascinating. O’Brien included firsthand interviews, FBI archives, court records, and interviews with people who knew Rose the best. As someone who lives in Cincinnati, I thought I knew a lot about Pete Rose prior to reading this book. I can honestly say I learned so much more from this book and I am going to be recommending this book to all of my baseball loving friends!
🎧I alternated between the physical book, and the audiobook, narrated by Ellen Adair. I found Adair to be a phenomenal pick for this audiobook an I found her engaging and I really enjoyed my listening experience. I would highly recommend this book in either format!
March 26, 2024
This book will do very little to resolve the debate over Pete Rose. Those who adore him will continue to do so no matter what, while those who found him despicable will take comfort that the facts of the case support their view. But this is a very well-done look at a case that feels like watching a train wreck in slow motion. The details that led to Rose's demise are laid out in terms that are easy to follow. Above all, the author portrays his subject matter's personality vividly, to the point where it does appear Pete Rose is stuck in a purgatory he richly deserves.
March 16, 2024
Well written well researched look at Pete Rose aka Charlie’s hustle.A hero on the field off the field a man with immense character flaws.A gambler with no respect for the game.This is an in-depth look at who Pete Rose really is eye opening revealing.#netgalley #knopf
April 13, 2024
I was born north of Cincinnati in Hamilton, and grew up in nearby Fairfield in the 70’s until I was 12. Like many boys my age in the area and across the region, we idolized Pete Rose. I remember meeting him twice in his heyday—first, after a game in 1975 at Riverfront Stadium when my father took me. Then in 1976 with my mother at Kroger after his 3,000th hit as he marketed his chocolate drink, Pete, for which I received his autograph (and still have it! He and the Big Res Machine were larger than life and Pete would go on to break the all time hits record—4192—as well as numerous others over his decades long career. Yet he had a dark personal side that consumed him in his off time. In Keith O’Brien’s riveting book, “Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball,” readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride through the tumultuous career of one of baseball’s most controversial figures. With meticulous research and captivating storytelling, O’Brien paints a vivid portrait of Pete Rose, the man known for his unparalleled hustle on the field and his notorious gambling off of it. The book delves into Rose’s upbringing in Cincinnati, where he honed his skills and developed his relentless work ethic that would come to define his career. O’Brien chronicles Rose’s rise to stardom with the Cincinnati Reds, where he earned the nickname “Charlie Hustle” for his gritty style of play and his relentless pursuit of victory. As Rose’s career reached its peak, O’Brien provides a behind-the-scenes look at the glory days of baseball in the 1970s, when the sport was at the height of its popularity and Rose was at the top of his game, in this brand new, and arguably best, Rose, biography. But as Rose’s star continued to rise, so too did his penchant for gambling, a habit that would ultimately lead to his downfall. O’Brien pulls no punches in detailing Rose’s descent into scandal, from his banishment from baseball to his eventual admission of guilt. Through interviews with Rose himself and those closest to him, O’Brien offers a nuanced and multifaceted portrait of a man who was both a hero and a villain, a legend and a pariah. What sets “Charlie Hustle” apart from other books on Pete Rose is O’Brien’s ability to capture the essence of the man behind the headlines. Through his meticulous research and engaging prose, O’Brien brings Rose to life in all his complexity, from his on-field heroics to his off-field struggles. The result is a compelling and thought-provoking read that will appeal to both die-hard baseball fans and casual readers alike. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of sports and society. O’Brien’s masterful storytelling and deep dive into Rose’s life make for a captivating read that will leave readers with a newfound appreciation for the complexities of one of baseball’s most iconic figures.
April 16, 2024
This book is incredibly well researched. Reading through the notes and bibliography at the end really put into perspective how much time and work went into this book.
The details into spring training, regular season, all star, and postseason games are so vivid, I can picture each pitch and play as they happened.
And since I never do this, I’m going to be nit-picky about the very small misses in this book:
- The term walk-off is used by the author to describe some games in the 1970s where the home team won in the final inning. The term walk-off was not coined until 1988 and I think this would have been a good opportunity to call these “game-winning hits” and explain how we now call these “walk-offs.”
- There was a lot of name-dropping in this book, and for good reason. So many people interacted with Pete Rose and it was interesting to read about the baseball personalities who know and how they crossed paths. But there were random times when a name wasn’t dropped that I thought, why not say the name of the person? For example, Johnny Bench’s wedding that “featured nine hundred guests, including the mayor and the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals.” Add those names in!
- And when Pete had a relationship with a girl who he allegedly thought was sixteen (apparently ok in the eyes of the law, but gross, he was 33), she alleges she was actually younger than 16 when they had sex… the author refers to her at different times as a “young woman,” a “teenager,” and a “woman.” I’m ok with saying she’s a teenager, but she was not a woman, call her what she is, a girl.
“It was almost as if he were standing in quicksand that night at Riverfront Stadium—only he was unaware of the world beyond him. Pete didn’t know it, but he was sinking.”
“Thirty-nine times that year, Pete advanced to third base with fewer than two outs in an inning and didn’t score—a statistic that didn’t make any sense to anyone.”
“Tommy said he wanted a bookie who could take bets ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per game, and Ron informed Tommy that he was good with that kind of action. He’d put no limit on Tommy’s wagers, because Ron knew the money was really coming from Pete Rose, and he figured a man like Pete would always be able to pay his debts.”
The details into spring training, regular season, all star, and postseason games are so vivid, I can picture each pitch and play as they happened.
And since I never do this, I’m going to be nit-picky about the very small misses in this book:
- The term walk-off is used by the author to describe some games in the 1970s where the home team won in the final inning. The term walk-off was not coined until 1988 and I think this would have been a good opportunity to call these “game-winning hits” and explain how we now call these “walk-offs.”
- There was a lot of name-dropping in this book, and for good reason. So many people interacted with Pete Rose and it was interesting to read about the baseball personalities who know and how they crossed paths. But there were random times when a name wasn’t dropped that I thought, why not say the name of the person? For example, Johnny Bench’s wedding that “featured nine hundred guests, including the mayor and the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals.” Add those names in!
- And when Pete had a relationship with a girl who he allegedly thought was sixteen (apparently ok in the eyes of the law, but gross, he was 33), she alleges she was actually younger than 16 when they had sex… the author refers to her at different times as a “young woman,” a “teenager,” and a “woman.” I’m ok with saying she’s a teenager, but she was not a woman, call her what she is, a girl.
“It was almost as if he were standing in quicksand that night at Riverfront Stadium—only he was unaware of the world beyond him. Pete didn’t know it, but he was sinking.”
“Thirty-nine times that year, Pete advanced to third base with fewer than two outs in an inning and didn’t score—a statistic that didn’t make any sense to anyone.”
“Tommy said he wanted a bookie who could take bets ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per game, and Ron informed Tommy that he was good with that kind of action. He’d put no limit on Tommy’s wagers, because Ron knew the money was really coming from Pete Rose, and he figured a man like Pete would always be able to pay his debts.”
March 28, 2024
Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Pantheon for allowing me to read and review Charlie Hustle The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball on NetGalley.
Published: 03/26/24
Stars: 4
I lived this. My first Major League Baseball game was in Cincinnati and of course I wanted to sit with my eyes on first base. Did I? I don't recall. I was young and sat where my dad pointed. I have only fond memories. There would have been a quick and nonsensical stop to any complaining; replacing the negative with the positive (everybody wants to see Pete, very few people ever see a game in their lifetime). I was taught to work hard and never give up like Pete. The lesson was there and I'm the woman I am today as a result. Pete made nonsporting news a few years after my introduction to him.
Charlie Hustle timelines Rose's life. I didn't realize reading this would bring back all the emotions: sadness, disgust, and disbelief I felt as this played out. Mainly I didn't expect to feel disappointed again.
I would gift this to a multi-thinker with interests in sports, social and psychological dynamics, and statistics.
Published: 03/26/24
Stars: 4
I lived this. My first Major League Baseball game was in Cincinnati and of course I wanted to sit with my eyes on first base. Did I? I don't recall. I was young and sat where my dad pointed. I have only fond memories. There would have been a quick and nonsensical stop to any complaining; replacing the negative with the positive (everybody wants to see Pete, very few people ever see a game in their lifetime). I was taught to work hard and never give up like Pete. The lesson was there and I'm the woman I am today as a result. Pete made nonsporting news a few years after my introduction to him.
Charlie Hustle timelines Rose's life. I didn't realize reading this would bring back all the emotions: sadness, disgust, and disbelief I felt as this played out. Mainly I didn't expect to feel disappointed again.
I would gift this to a multi-thinker with interests in sports, social and psychological dynamics, and statistics.
April 9, 2024
Your enjoyment of this book will depend on what you want to get from it.
For the baseball junkie hoping for extensive on-the-field coverage of Pete's career, the book is a mixed bag. O'Brien gives plenty of ink to the 1975 World Series and the Ray Fosse incident. There's a great anecdote on Rose calculating how to get a hit when the Houston Astros were trying to intentionally walk him. But O'Brien shoves entire seasons aside, thus you never get a full understanding of what made Rose a special player.
If you're interested in the salacious side of Rose's life, the book won't disappoint.
For the baseball junkie hoping for extensive on-the-field coverage of Pete's career, the book is a mixed bag. O'Brien gives plenty of ink to the 1975 World Series and the Ray Fosse incident. There's a great anecdote on Rose calculating how to get a hit when the Houston Astros were trying to intentionally walk him. But O'Brien shoves entire seasons aside, thus you never get a full understanding of what made Rose a special player.
If you're interested in the salacious side of Rose's life, the book won't disappoint.
January 17, 2024
Really good. It seems like most everyone knows Pete Rose's story so It's interesting to see the author reframe it as indicative of the death of baseball's dominance as America's pastime and how its subsequent soured innocence paved the way for the steroids scandal shortly thereafter. Official Dad Book™ seal of approval.
April 1, 2024
Biased, because Pantheon, but publisher or not—one of the best sports books I’ve read in YEARS AND YEARS. Definitive and compulsively readable. And in light of the Ohtani news, couldn’t be more relevant. A showstopper.
December 6, 2023
Keith O'Brien did the research for this one and interviewed a lot of people on the record specifically for this book. My favorite sections dealt with the time period in the late 1980s when Rose was battling with Giamatti and Vincent as well as all of the details of Rose's circle of friends and acquaintances.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Pantheon as well as NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Pantheon as well as NetGalley for the ARC.
November 28, 2023
"Charlie Hustle" by Keith O'Brien is a captivating exploration of the life and career of baseball legend Pete Rose. O'Brien skillfully weaves together Rose's journey from a small-town kid with an unmatched work ethic to his rise as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. The book not only delves into Rose's on-field achievements but also sheds light on the controversies that surrounded his career, particularly the infamous gambling scandal that led to his banishment from baseball.
O'Brien's writing is both informative and engaging, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of Rose's complex personality and the challenges he faced. The author seamlessly blends sports history with personal anecdotes, creating a well-rounded portrait of a man who became both a hero and a pariah in the world of baseball. "Charlie Hustle" is a must-read for baseball enthusiasts and anyone intrigued by the intersection of talent, ambition, and the consequences of one's choices in the pursuit of greatness. O'Brien's meticulous research and compelling narrative make this biography a standout contribution to the literature on America's pastime.
O'Brien's writing is both informative and engaging, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of Rose's complex personality and the challenges he faced. The author seamlessly blends sports history with personal anecdotes, creating a well-rounded portrait of a man who became both a hero and a pariah in the world of baseball. "Charlie Hustle" is a must-read for baseball enthusiasts and anyone intrigued by the intersection of talent, ambition, and the consequences of one's choices in the pursuit of greatness. O'Brien's meticulous research and compelling narrative make this biography a standout contribution to the literature on America's pastime.
February 7, 2024
I remember the Pete Rose scandal of the 1980's, but as someone who enjoys baseball without following it closely, I really knew very little about the man or the events surrounding his downfall. After reading Charlie Hustle, I have a great respect for him as a player, and simultaneously, I find his actions off the field deplorable. Keith O'Brien does a fantastic job of showing both sides of the legendary player, as well as the entire world of baseball, in a well-researched, very readable biography. The author portrays Pete as a hustler on the baseball field who worked harder than most others to reach the top, and delves into the politics and leadership of baseball commissioners and owners, who had roles in his career.
As a casual baseball fan, I found the book an easy, informative and entertaining read. Those who are more enthusiastic fans will enjoy the deep dive into baseball of the era, and the backstory behind Pete Rose's implosion.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon Books for the digital ARC of Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O'Brien. The opinions in this review are my own.
As a casual baseball fan, I found the book an easy, informative and entertaining read. Those who are more enthusiastic fans will enjoy the deep dive into baseball of the era, and the backstory behind Pete Rose's implosion.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon Books for the digital ARC of Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O'Brien. The opinions in this review are my own.
April 12, 2024
It is April and that means baseball season is finally in full swing. Along with the joy of the new season, I find myself craving books featuring the grand old game in any way, shape, or form. Over the last year, I have been reading previous Casey Award winners and nominees to fill in the gaps of quality books that I may have missed along the way. I have been a connoisseur of biographies since my second grade teacher challenged my class to read as many biographies as possible. After all these years, I can still list the genre among my favorites because I enjoy learning about the history behind the subject and more about the person than what we see in the public eye. I have lived in Cincinnati for a good portion of my adult life. Even here in the Queen City, Pete Rose is a polarizing figure, and for good reason. My baseball reading friend mentioned a new biography on the all time hit king, and I knew that a book featuring Rose would have to be on my baseball reading lineup for the year. In parts of the city, Pete Rose is still considered Mr Cincinnati, and I wanted to formulate a balanced opinion about the man for myself.
From his childhood, Pete Rose could be viewed as a rags to riches story. He came out of the west side of Cincinnati where one could see Kentucky from his front porch. Unlike boys from well to do families who had their pick of sports and school choice, Rose had to fight to make every time that he ever played on. His father Pete, Sr known as Big Pete played amateur football through his early forties. Big Pete projected himself to be more talented than he actually was, and projected the same self image to his younger son, known in childhood as Little Pete. The reality of the situation is that one could be a big man on campus on the west side of Cincinnati, but that was the end of the game for most. Little Pete was small for his age, so his father said that he would have to hustle if he would want to make it in baseball and football. Although many attribute the nickname as derogatory once his career took off, Charlie hustle could first be attributed to Big Pete, who told his kid to run out every play. As a student at Western Hills High School, the legend of Pete Rose had been born. From the time he was a boy, Pete Rose dreamed of playing for the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. Although smaller than most of his teammates and primarily a singles and doubles hitter, Rose knew in his heart that one day he would be playing for the Reds. Big Pete had the connections to make that dream come true.
The author Keith O’Brien makes it clear that Pete Rose had been exposed to gambling at racetracks and other underworld activities from the time that he was a kid. His father enjoyed a day at the track and he saw nothing wrong with bringing his son with him. Betting on the races made the day more exhilarating, and this was a core childhood that was passed from father to son. By the time Rose did earn his spot with the Reds as a twenty two year old rookie, he was already well known at racetracks throughout the tri-state area. He made lifelong friends, albeit not the greatest choices of character, and chased pretty women, setting his eye on Karolyn Engelhardt, a brunette he spotted one day at the track. The two were married at the ripe age of twenty three, the press dubbing the newlyweds Mr and Mrs Cincinnati, and they quickly established themselves as west side royalty. Marriage hardly meant that Rose was settling down on the ball field or the underworld circuit. In both aspects of his life, in his mid twenties, Rose was just getting started. His yearly goals were two hundred hits and a .320 batting average. Although he loved hitting and being at the ball park, what Rose craved was the triple header at spring training each year- the horse track, dog track, and jai alai games. At each stop, he would gamble and gamble some more, creating a parallel life for himself that soon became the biggest open secret in baseball. Perhaps if baseball had curbed these activities toward the beginning of Rose’s career, things would have turned out differently. Unfortunately, as the Reds set down the path to sustained success in the 1970s, Major League Baseball turned a blind eye to some of Rose’s activities. By the time baseball realized the immensity of Rose’s gambling and debts, it was too late.
I have a feeling that this author would enjoy my personal mantra “if you use, you lose” in regards to the hall of fame. He touches on the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s but not as in depth as one would think. Much has been written about the Reds’ battles in the 1970s playoffs and World Series; that was not the focus of this book. Other books on the subject touched on Rose’s quest to become the all time hit king. His path toward 4,192 hits plays a role in the longevity of Rose’s career, but that is still not the main focus of this book. The aspect of Rose’s life that the author chooses to emphasize is his gambling and how his addiction lead him to associate with shady characters and eventually lead to his lifetime ban from baseball. The sign stating rule 21 (9) telling players and team personnel that they are not allowed to bet on baseball is front and center in every major league locker room. Dating from before the Black Sox scandal that ironically won the Reds their first World Series, any player found to be betting on baseball games would be banned for life. Rose’s scandal came in between the drug years of the 1970s and 1990s. At the time, he was the major scandal in baseball. As manager of the Reds, Rose had a standing bet with a bookie for $200 that the Reds would win every day. He would also create a conflict of interest for himself by betting on other games as well as on other sports, and his debts spiraled out of control. Eventually he was caught and never apologized, banning Rose for life from the game that he loves. The gambling addiction, shady characters, and relationship with his wife Karolyn comprise the bulk of the book. At time it seemed to drag, as the author rehashes every year, every debt, every bookie, whereas in certain cases only a synopsis would have been fine. What resulted is Pete Rose being alienated from baseball, a game that he has played since childhood. He knew the consequences of betting on baseball and he never apologized because that was his personality. It is this unlikable persona that the author has crafted, urging the reader to show little sympathy toward Pete Rose in regards to his reinstatement, that perhaps would have turned out differently had he uttered these two words : “I’m sorry.”
Today people can bet on everything. Cities need casinos to pay off debts and there are sports betting parlors located on the grounds of historic ballparks. Athletes and former athletes are spokespeople for these sports betting parlors, and there is no scenario in which they would be banned from their sport or hall of fame. In a few years Major League Baseball will have a team in Las Vegas and a whole new set of regulations that will have to be put in place. The sports landscape is dramatically different from when Pete Rose played. Today he could have been a sports bet spokesperson and still be revered by baseball. When he played, unfortunately, the technology was not in place for this to take place. Love him or hate him, Pete Rose was a ball player, the type who gives his all and collects his three hits on a nightly basis. He still has his street Pete Rose Way in downtown Cincinnati and a statue outside of the new ballpark. Perhaps a thaw is coming soon because Rose attended the all star game when it was last played in the Queen City and received a standing ovation. He is still revered by many in his home city, and in this climate, the time may be right for reinstatement. I believe that the author does not want Pete Rose in the hall of fame. Even though I have my opinions about the drug users, with Rose I’m not so sure. Baseball stats and scenarios can be debated for eternity, and that’s what makes the game unique. Rose is a polarizing figure who will be debated for time eternal even if he is eventually given hall of fame admittance. Whether that day comes this season, in his lifetime, or someday in the future remains to be seen. What is clear is that Pete Rose is the hit king who is still revered here in the Queen City and continues to be honored despite his shortcomings.
3.75 stars
From his childhood, Pete Rose could be viewed as a rags to riches story. He came out of the west side of Cincinnati where one could see Kentucky from his front porch. Unlike boys from well to do families who had their pick of sports and school choice, Rose had to fight to make every time that he ever played on. His father Pete, Sr known as Big Pete played amateur football through his early forties. Big Pete projected himself to be more talented than he actually was, and projected the same self image to his younger son, known in childhood as Little Pete. The reality of the situation is that one could be a big man on campus on the west side of Cincinnati, but that was the end of the game for most. Little Pete was small for his age, so his father said that he would have to hustle if he would want to make it in baseball and football. Although many attribute the nickname as derogatory once his career took off, Charlie hustle could first be attributed to Big Pete, who told his kid to run out every play. As a student at Western Hills High School, the legend of Pete Rose had been born. From the time he was a boy, Pete Rose dreamed of playing for the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. Although smaller than most of his teammates and primarily a singles and doubles hitter, Rose knew in his heart that one day he would be playing for the Reds. Big Pete had the connections to make that dream come true.
The author Keith O’Brien makes it clear that Pete Rose had been exposed to gambling at racetracks and other underworld activities from the time that he was a kid. His father enjoyed a day at the track and he saw nothing wrong with bringing his son with him. Betting on the races made the day more exhilarating, and this was a core childhood that was passed from father to son. By the time Rose did earn his spot with the Reds as a twenty two year old rookie, he was already well known at racetracks throughout the tri-state area. He made lifelong friends, albeit not the greatest choices of character, and chased pretty women, setting his eye on Karolyn Engelhardt, a brunette he spotted one day at the track. The two were married at the ripe age of twenty three, the press dubbing the newlyweds Mr and Mrs Cincinnati, and they quickly established themselves as west side royalty. Marriage hardly meant that Rose was settling down on the ball field or the underworld circuit. In both aspects of his life, in his mid twenties, Rose was just getting started. His yearly goals were two hundred hits and a .320 batting average. Although he loved hitting and being at the ball park, what Rose craved was the triple header at spring training each year- the horse track, dog track, and jai alai games. At each stop, he would gamble and gamble some more, creating a parallel life for himself that soon became the biggest open secret in baseball. Perhaps if baseball had curbed these activities toward the beginning of Rose’s career, things would have turned out differently. Unfortunately, as the Reds set down the path to sustained success in the 1970s, Major League Baseball turned a blind eye to some of Rose’s activities. By the time baseball realized the immensity of Rose’s gambling and debts, it was too late.
I have a feeling that this author would enjoy my personal mantra “if you use, you lose” in regards to the hall of fame. He touches on the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970s but not as in depth as one would think. Much has been written about the Reds’ battles in the 1970s playoffs and World Series; that was not the focus of this book. Other books on the subject touched on Rose’s quest to become the all time hit king. His path toward 4,192 hits plays a role in the longevity of Rose’s career, but that is still not the main focus of this book. The aspect of Rose’s life that the author chooses to emphasize is his gambling and how his addiction lead him to associate with shady characters and eventually lead to his lifetime ban from baseball. The sign stating rule 21 (9) telling players and team personnel that they are not allowed to bet on baseball is front and center in every major league locker room. Dating from before the Black Sox scandal that ironically won the Reds their first World Series, any player found to be betting on baseball games would be banned for life. Rose’s scandal came in between the drug years of the 1970s and 1990s. At the time, he was the major scandal in baseball. As manager of the Reds, Rose had a standing bet with a bookie for $200 that the Reds would win every day. He would also create a conflict of interest for himself by betting on other games as well as on other sports, and his debts spiraled out of control. Eventually he was caught and never apologized, banning Rose for life from the game that he loves. The gambling addiction, shady characters, and relationship with his wife Karolyn comprise the bulk of the book. At time it seemed to drag, as the author rehashes every year, every debt, every bookie, whereas in certain cases only a synopsis would have been fine. What resulted is Pete Rose being alienated from baseball, a game that he has played since childhood. He knew the consequences of betting on baseball and he never apologized because that was his personality. It is this unlikable persona that the author has crafted, urging the reader to show little sympathy toward Pete Rose in regards to his reinstatement, that perhaps would have turned out differently had he uttered these two words : “I’m sorry.”
Today people can bet on everything. Cities need casinos to pay off debts and there are sports betting parlors located on the grounds of historic ballparks. Athletes and former athletes are spokespeople for these sports betting parlors, and there is no scenario in which they would be banned from their sport or hall of fame. In a few years Major League Baseball will have a team in Las Vegas and a whole new set of regulations that will have to be put in place. The sports landscape is dramatically different from when Pete Rose played. Today he could have been a sports bet spokesperson and still be revered by baseball. When he played, unfortunately, the technology was not in place for this to take place. Love him or hate him, Pete Rose was a ball player, the type who gives his all and collects his three hits on a nightly basis. He still has his street Pete Rose Way in downtown Cincinnati and a statue outside of the new ballpark. Perhaps a thaw is coming soon because Rose attended the all star game when it was last played in the Queen City and received a standing ovation. He is still revered by many in his home city, and in this climate, the time may be right for reinstatement. I believe that the author does not want Pete Rose in the hall of fame. Even though I have my opinions about the drug users, with Rose I’m not so sure. Baseball stats and scenarios can be debated for eternity, and that’s what makes the game unique. Rose is a polarizing figure who will be debated for time eternal even if he is eventually given hall of fame admittance. Whether that day comes this season, in his lifetime, or someday in the future remains to be seen. What is clear is that Pete Rose is the hit king who is still revered here in the Queen City and continues to be honored despite his shortcomings.
3.75 stars
April 7, 2024
Four stars for the research (truly prodigious) and writing, complete with a literary turn at the end: Pete as Sisyphus. One star for Pete Rose himself, who comes across as an empty man who traveled through the most tumultuous times in our country's recent history and spent them entirely concerned with hitting line drives, getting laid, and getting his bets down. As one former mistress puts it, "Pete loves two things wholeheartedly. Pete and baseball." He was kinda nice to some Black teammates early on, though later he threw Dave Parker under two different buses, but for the most part he was the epitome of the "white player" (a theme touched on twice here that is not adequately explored), thriving on guts and hard work and drive and all of those other euphemisms that extol a white player's heart and work ethic because, in the usual racially-coded language, he doesn't have the "natural" athletic talent to succeed.
Interesting comp here: Larry Bird, another irreducibly Midwestern persona who was understood as so emblematic of the white-athlete trope that of course the gentrifying white guy in Do the Right Thing is wearing a Bird jersey, and Isiah Thomas lashed out at him, but whose game and sense of being a teammate was in fact built around a lot more--and whom nobody describes as a monster of selfishness on the order of Rose. (Or, fictionally, Rocky, who rises to fame by first losing to and then beating and then befriending a Muhammad Ali stand-in.) So there's a weird gravitational mismatch here, in that, for Rose's story to be fully tragic, he'd have to register some sense of self-awareness, some vague larger consciousness of...something. He was already on the older side when I became a baseball fan, so I never felt that much attachment to him, but I can see the argument that here's where his whiteness registers most, as the tragedy derives from without rather than within: he was celebrated nationally at a time in post-Vietnam America, especially by sportswriters who shared his fundamental attributes (at least in baseball journalism? I felt like I found a decent amount of leftish writing on football in this period for my book), when it felt like heroes and heroism and uncomplicated good-ol' whatever were all in short supply in this country and didn't work even when you had enough of any of them; there's probably something interesting to be said about the appeal of these figures between the US withdrawal from Saigon in 1975 and Reagan's ascendancy.
But, as his former mistress notes, that's just not what he cares about. So I admire the quantity and quality of O'Brien's research, the vigor of his storytelling, and the enormous range of perspectives he's gathered (seriously, paging through the footnotes, the depth of sourcing on, say, how and when Sports Illustrated got the tip about his gambling cites four interviews)...and yet at the core of this is someone who never developed, or even seemed to think about developing, in any way beyond that one single (haha, obvious pun here about his slugging percentage) way. Cue that line from Fitzgerald about Ring Lardner.
Interesting comp here: Larry Bird, another irreducibly Midwestern persona who was understood as so emblematic of the white-athlete trope that of course the gentrifying white guy in Do the Right Thing is wearing a Bird jersey, and Isiah Thomas lashed out at him, but whose game and sense of being a teammate was in fact built around a lot more--and whom nobody describes as a monster of selfishness on the order of Rose. (Or, fictionally, Rocky, who rises to fame by first losing to and then beating and then befriending a Muhammad Ali stand-in.) So there's a weird gravitational mismatch here, in that, for Rose's story to be fully tragic, he'd have to register some sense of self-awareness, some vague larger consciousness of...something. He was already on the older side when I became a baseball fan, so I never felt that much attachment to him, but I can see the argument that here's where his whiteness registers most, as the tragedy derives from without rather than within: he was celebrated nationally at a time in post-Vietnam America, especially by sportswriters who shared his fundamental attributes (at least in baseball journalism? I felt like I found a decent amount of leftish writing on football in this period for my book), when it felt like heroes and heroism and uncomplicated good-ol' whatever were all in short supply in this country and didn't work even when you had enough of any of them; there's probably something interesting to be said about the appeal of these figures between the US withdrawal from Saigon in 1975 and Reagan's ascendancy.
But, as his former mistress notes, that's just not what he cares about. So I admire the quantity and quality of O'Brien's research, the vigor of his storytelling, and the enormous range of perspectives he's gathered (seriously, paging through the footnotes, the depth of sourcing on, say, how and when Sports Illustrated got the tip about his gambling cites four interviews)...and yet at the core of this is someone who never developed, or even seemed to think about developing, in any way beyond that one single (haha, obvious pun here about his slugging percentage) way. Cue that line from Fitzgerald about Ring Lardner.
March 26, 2024
Pete Rose is one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Pete Rose is a deeply flawed person who consistently made choices which support his lifetime ban from Major League Baseball.
Cooperstown is not filled with saints.
All three of these things can be true.
Yet, until I read Keith O’Brien’s meticulously researched biography of Rose, “Charlie Hustle,” I’m not sure that I would have felt the second statement was true. The story which has filtered down through the public consciousness about Rose is that he was the victim of an overzealous prosecution by the commissioner of baseball who had an axe to grind.
He also was painted as a man who made a small, isolated mistake. So, who are we to deny this man a spot in the hallowed hall next to guys like Ty Cobb who committed the same infraction themselves?
But the Rose most of us think we knew isn’t a real person. He’s a carefully crafted character from back in a time before cameras were able to track sports figures obsessively.
Had the world of social media existed for Pete Rose, maybe the very first season his horse track gambling got out of hand it would have been nipped in the bud.
Or his career would have ended when he had an affair on his wife with a fifteen-year-old girl.
He may have gone to Federal Prison for his association with bookies, cocaine, and steroids.
Is it possible we would know nothing of Rose because his personal demons were so great and unmanageable that his career was over before it started. Or would he have gotten the help he needed so early on that this conversation would never have happened at all, and Rose would be firmly ensconced in the Hall where his talent belongs.
We will never know, which makes this book a tough but fascinating read for the myriad of What If’s.
O’Brien manages to thread an extremely difficult needle here by presenting a mountain of facts without passing judgement. We know at the start that Rose himself cooperated for 27 hours of interviews on this book before disappearing from the project. By the end, this action is a perfect encapsulation of all Rose’s relationships - not just the people he consumes then discards, but with institutions too.
Even now, as he spends his days haunting memorabilia shows to make money, Rose seems to remain the same. If anything, he appears confused that he still needs to dodge the debris of all the bridges he burnt.
Ultimately that is the biggest takeaway from this bombshell of a bio: Even if Pete Rose was given back the one thing denied to him thus far, reinstatement and a shot at the Hall of Fame, it’s doubtful that would matter to him in the end. Charlie Hustle is only about the chase.
_________
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the Advanced Reader Copy.
Pete Rose is a deeply flawed person who consistently made choices which support his lifetime ban from Major League Baseball.
Cooperstown is not filled with saints.
All three of these things can be true.
Yet, until I read Keith O’Brien’s meticulously researched biography of Rose, “Charlie Hustle,” I’m not sure that I would have felt the second statement was true. The story which has filtered down through the public consciousness about Rose is that he was the victim of an overzealous prosecution by the commissioner of baseball who had an axe to grind.
He also was painted as a man who made a small, isolated mistake. So, who are we to deny this man a spot in the hallowed hall next to guys like Ty Cobb who committed the same infraction themselves?
But the Rose most of us think we knew isn’t a real person. He’s a carefully crafted character from back in a time before cameras were able to track sports figures obsessively.
Had the world of social media existed for Pete Rose, maybe the very first season his horse track gambling got out of hand it would have been nipped in the bud.
Or his career would have ended when he had an affair on his wife with a fifteen-year-old girl.
He may have gone to Federal Prison for his association with bookies, cocaine, and steroids.
Is it possible we would know nothing of Rose because his personal demons were so great and unmanageable that his career was over before it started. Or would he have gotten the help he needed so early on that this conversation would never have happened at all, and Rose would be firmly ensconced in the Hall where his talent belongs.
We will never know, which makes this book a tough but fascinating read for the myriad of What If’s.
O’Brien manages to thread an extremely difficult needle here by presenting a mountain of facts without passing judgement. We know at the start that Rose himself cooperated for 27 hours of interviews on this book before disappearing from the project. By the end, this action is a perfect encapsulation of all Rose’s relationships - not just the people he consumes then discards, but with institutions too.
Even now, as he spends his days haunting memorabilia shows to make money, Rose seems to remain the same. If anything, he appears confused that he still needs to dodge the debris of all the bridges he burnt.
Ultimately that is the biggest takeaway from this bombshell of a bio: Even if Pete Rose was given back the one thing denied to him thus far, reinstatement and a shot at the Hall of Fame, it’s doubtful that would matter to him in the end. Charlie Hustle is only about the chase.
_________
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the Advanced Reader Copy.
April 21, 2024
Rating: 4.2
What a well-written and fascinating book! I'm a life-long Cincinnati Reds fan, so I found this book utterly enthralling. I learned so many things (large and small) about Pete that I'd never known before. For example;
- Johnny Vander Meer, the famous Reds pitcher and only player in history who pitched back-to-back no hitters was one of Pete's minor league manager and an early supporter of Pete.
- Rose felt ostracized in his first year with the Reds and was befriended by Frank Robinson and Vada Pinson
- Pete's character wasn't great at all, in fact, it was pretty lousy. Like most Cincinnatians who grew up watching Pete, we knew he was a little rough around the edges, but hey, he was a winner, so it was ok! However, after reading about his infidelities and the way he used people, I think a lot less of him now.
- And...his gambling was completely out of control He was in way over his head.
Once again, playing the Cincinnati card, I always thought Pete belonged in the hall of fame. After reading the book, I'm more conflicted now.
"Charlie Hustle" isn't a hit job though. It's a balanced, well-researched piece of sports writing. Keith O'Brien does a great job at presenting all sides of Pete. At times, I was angry with him, other times sympathetic.
Some favorite passages:
"What wasn't there to love about Hutch? The players found it harder. They called him old stone face because they never knew how he felt, except when he was yelling, which he seemed to do a lot. The joke among the writers was that Hutch didn't throw tantrums, he threw rooms. When the Reds lost, he was known to toss stools around the clubhouse, turn over tables, dump the postgame meal on the floor, tear off his jerseys, rip them to shreds or worse. At least once, he broke every light in the tunnel outside the dugout. He simply couldn't tolerate mediocrity..."
- Description of Reds' manager Fred Hutchinson
"'I don't know about that Rose kid,' Bristol said, just before the season started. Sometimes in the dugout Bristol would just sit there, staring at Pete, and spit his tobacco juice."
"And he runs like a scalded dog. He's got more stomach than a parachute jumper."
_- Johnny Vander Meer, one of Pete's minor league manager.
What a well-written and fascinating book! I'm a life-long Cincinnati Reds fan, so I found this book utterly enthralling. I learned so many things (large and small) about Pete that I'd never known before. For example;
- Johnny Vander Meer, the famous Reds pitcher and only player in history who pitched back-to-back no hitters was one of Pete's minor league manager and an early supporter of Pete.
- Rose felt ostracized in his first year with the Reds and was befriended by Frank Robinson and Vada Pinson
- Pete's character wasn't great at all, in fact, it was pretty lousy. Like most Cincinnatians who grew up watching Pete, we knew he was a little rough around the edges, but hey, he was a winner, so it was ok! However, after reading about his infidelities and the way he used people, I think a lot less of him now.
- And...his gambling was completely out of control He was in way over his head.
Once again, playing the Cincinnati card, I always thought Pete belonged in the hall of fame. After reading the book, I'm more conflicted now.
"Charlie Hustle" isn't a hit job though. It's a balanced, well-researched piece of sports writing. Keith O'Brien does a great job at presenting all sides of Pete. At times, I was angry with him, other times sympathetic.
Some favorite passages:
"What wasn't there to love about Hutch? The players found it harder. They called him old stone face because they never knew how he felt, except when he was yelling, which he seemed to do a lot. The joke among the writers was that Hutch didn't throw tantrums, he threw rooms. When the Reds lost, he was known to toss stools around the clubhouse, turn over tables, dump the postgame meal on the floor, tear off his jerseys, rip them to shreds or worse. At least once, he broke every light in the tunnel outside the dugout. He simply couldn't tolerate mediocrity..."
- Description of Reds' manager Fred Hutchinson
"'I don't know about that Rose kid,' Bristol said, just before the season started. Sometimes in the dugout Bristol would just sit there, staring at Pete, and spit his tobacco juice."
"And he runs like a scalded dog. He's got more stomach than a parachute jumper."
_- Johnny Vander Meer, one of Pete's minor league manager.
February 18, 2024
Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Pantheon, and Keith O’Brien for the advanced reader copy of the book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.
I’m old enough that I can say I saw Pete Rose play. As a Mets fan, I had to have some anger over his fight with Bud Harrelson during the 1973 playoffs. I also saw his fall from grace. In recent years, I thought he still belonged in the Baseball Hall of Fame, as they had never proved that he did anything to alter the course of a game while he was in debt to the gamblers he owed money to. However, after reading Charlie Hustle by Keith O’Brien, I’m rethinking that opinion.
Charlie Hustle will likely become the definitive biography of Rose. It’s presented without the bias that Rose’s own books have. In it, O’Brien paints the portrait of a man whose entire life was consumed by baseball. He lived and breathed it, working out throughout his life more than was ever asked, and always trying to better himself. Unfortunately, he was also consumed by gambling, which would be his downfall.
O’Brien starts at the beginning of Rose’s life as he grows up in the rough-and-tumble blue-collar area of Cincinnati. His father was devoted to Pete to the exclusion of his other children. Rose was trained as a prize fighter. When that didn’t work out, he turned his attention to baseball. The nickname “Charlie Hustle” was a derogatory name given to him by Mickey Mantle. Rose didn’t care; he ran with it and owned it.
To read my full review, please go to: Book Review – Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O’Brien
I’m old enough that I can say I saw Pete Rose play. As a Mets fan, I had to have some anger over his fight with Bud Harrelson during the 1973 playoffs. I also saw his fall from grace. In recent years, I thought he still belonged in the Baseball Hall of Fame, as they had never proved that he did anything to alter the course of a game while he was in debt to the gamblers he owed money to. However, after reading Charlie Hustle by Keith O’Brien, I’m rethinking that opinion.
Charlie Hustle will likely become the definitive biography of Rose. It’s presented without the bias that Rose’s own books have. In it, O’Brien paints the portrait of a man whose entire life was consumed by baseball. He lived and breathed it, working out throughout his life more than was ever asked, and always trying to better himself. Unfortunately, he was also consumed by gambling, which would be his downfall.
O’Brien starts at the beginning of Rose’s life as he grows up in the rough-and-tumble blue-collar area of Cincinnati. His father was devoted to Pete to the exclusion of his other children. Rose was trained as a prize fighter. When that didn’t work out, he turned his attention to baseball. The nickname “Charlie Hustle” was a derogatory name given to him by Mickey Mantle. Rose didn’t care; he ran with it and owned it.
To read my full review, please go to: Book Review – Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O’Brien
March 31, 2024
I have read a lot of baseball biographies in my life, but I haven’t read many that hit me as squarely in the chest and left me as confused about a human as Keith O’Brien’s 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦.
When I was seven-years-old, my grandfather took me to an exhibition game at Greer Stadium in Nashville between the Cincinnati Reds and the Nashville Sounds. I went down to the dugout with a ball and asked the Reds manager for an autograph. The manager, Pete Rose, didn’t look at me. For most of my life, that’s been my main memory of Pete Rose. A year later, he was banned from baseball and, to be honest, because I was so young I just kind of accepted that there was some debate over that happening (there are thousands of pages of hard evidence).
O’Brien sets up his book like a five-act tragedy. Literally, there are five acts: Rise, Shine, Fame, Fall, and Wreckage. Pete Rose is complicated and O’Brien doesn’t shy away from that. On one hand, he’s baseball’s all time hits leader, he befriended the black players on his team when that was certainly not common, he was good to fans (seven-year-old me not withstanding), but he was also a hardcore gambler, a philanderer, an absent father, and possibly a pedophile. O’Brien covers it all, interviewing Pete himself, his friends, his teammates and other people around him. As he states in the intro, he sticks to just known facts because that story in and of itself is enough. He tries to stray from opinion and weighing in on some of baseball’s biggest debates, but it’s hard to avoid and I think he does it deftly.
Pete Rose is a tragic figure: he was at the top, one of the greatest of all time, and fell to the lowest of the low, all through his own hubris. O’Brien captures it all perfectly. It’s one of the best baseball biographies I remember reading.
Note: I did eventually get that autograph, but I had to pay him for it.
When I was seven-years-old, my grandfather took me to an exhibition game at Greer Stadium in Nashville between the Cincinnati Reds and the Nashville Sounds. I went down to the dugout with a ball and asked the Reds manager for an autograph. The manager, Pete Rose, didn’t look at me. For most of my life, that’s been my main memory of Pete Rose. A year later, he was banned from baseball and, to be honest, because I was so young I just kind of accepted that there was some debate over that happening (there are thousands of pages of hard evidence).
O’Brien sets up his book like a five-act tragedy. Literally, there are five acts: Rise, Shine, Fame, Fall, and Wreckage. Pete Rose is complicated and O’Brien doesn’t shy away from that. On one hand, he’s baseball’s all time hits leader, he befriended the black players on his team when that was certainly not common, he was good to fans (seven-year-old me not withstanding), but he was also a hardcore gambler, a philanderer, an absent father, and possibly a pedophile. O’Brien covers it all, interviewing Pete himself, his friends, his teammates and other people around him. As he states in the intro, he sticks to just known facts because that story in and of itself is enough. He tries to stray from opinion and weighing in on some of baseball’s biggest debates, but it’s hard to avoid and I think he does it deftly.
Pete Rose is a tragic figure: he was at the top, one of the greatest of all time, and fell to the lowest of the low, all through his own hubris. O’Brien captures it all perfectly. It’s one of the best baseball biographies I remember reading.
Note: I did eventually get that autograph, but I had to pay him for it.
December 18, 2023
Keith O'Brien has written a fascinating biography of Pete Rose that successfully conveys the many sides of him. The baseball stories are very engaging, but the story really shines when O'Brien goes behind the facade to show the real man. Here was a guy who hustled his entire life to get to the very pinnacle of success, but was seemingly undone by the same drive to hustle. Pete Rose seemed to believe that he had to keep going, and that as long as he kept going he would become, and remain, invincible. As a result, he not only destroyed his life and reputation, but a whole host of other people who were drawn to him. By the end, Pete Rose had burned so many bridges personally and professionally that all he was left with was bitterness. Keith O'Brien did a fantastic job of showing how he got to that point. It was also interesting to see how the Pete Rose gambling scandal affected baseball, and what is meant for the sport as we viewed it in the past, and what it meant for the future. This was a sport's biography of the highest order, with great writing. Keith O'Brien is a fantastic storyteller that kept me engaged the whole time. I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a good sport's book that goes beyond the game to look at the humans who play. I have read in other reviews that this will stand as the definitive Pete Rose biography, and after finishing it, I firmly believe that.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy to read and review.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy to read and review.
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April 15, 2024Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball is a Biography that perfectly fits me. I know who Pete Rose is, but never knew they made a biography about him. This book talks about the ups and downs of Pete's career, the crazy records that he broke including the most hits which was 4,256. It also talked about the betting scandals in his career where he got caught betting on his own games and himself, hence why the title is called the rise and the fall. A major theme in this book is perserverance. Being a professional baseball player is extremely hard, but to do what Pete Rose did takes thousands of hours of hard work, grit, and mental toughness. The main genre of this book is a biography as it was written about Pete Roses life and career. Through reading this book, I learned to never take anything for granted, and to win each day. I also learned that everyday isn't going to go how you want it, but it is the concept that you take away from it that keeps you going. This book was a WOW book for me because I have played baseball growing up and it is my life. Everyday I spend hours working on my craft to try to be someone like Pete Rose some day.
Some literary devices used in this book were similes and alliteration. These helped elevate the text as they gave it more meaning and life. I would consider this book to be anti-bias because it explains the life of Pete Rose, and doesn't mention anything controversial or racist.
Some literary devices used in this book were similes and alliteration. These helped elevate the text as they gave it more meaning and life. I would consider this book to be anti-bias because it explains the life of Pete Rose, and doesn't mention anything controversial or racist.
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