Rose, a.k.a. Charlie Hustle (the nickname was an insult he happily embraced), was a competitive monster over his long career (1963–1986), mostly with the Cincinnati Reds, overcoming an unimpressive athletic toolkit through sheer force of will. "I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball" was his mantra.

The long saga of Pete Rose’s betting on baseball goes back over 40 years, taking multiple twists and turns before finally reaching its latest end point: Rose’s reinstatement to baseball. While much of the fireworks came in 1989,