The news hit hard and traveled faster than a Shohei Ohtani home run. Baseball legend Pete Rose passed away in his Las Vegas home on Monday. He was 83.
The Clark County, Nevada Coroner’s Office confirmed the cause of death. Pete died of hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. For years, the heart of “Charlie Hustle” worked extra hard pumping blood because of plaque buildup on his artery walls. Basically, he had been hustling every minute to stay alive until the game was over.
Pete Rose had just returned from Nashville, Tennessee. It would be an ideal final appearance. He was with his beloved teammates from the Cincinnati Reds “Big Red Machine.”
Pete Rose Memories
I’m sure you read the title of this post with curiosity. What do Pete and Puerto Peñasco have in common, you ask?
Well, that’s easy. Me.
I used to cover sports for a TV station in Philadelphia. Pete Rose helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series Championship. Years later, I landed the only media interview with Pete Rose before he went to federal prison for tax evasion. This was long before I became a Rocky Point Mexico regular.
However, this afternoon, driving from Arizona to the Sonoran Sun Resort, I couldn’t help but bring together those parts of my life. Mexico trips for me are great opportunities for thinking. Furthermore, with the passing of Pete Rose, this journey became mostly a trip down memory lane.
Pete Rose Story on Sandy Beach
It was sunset by the time I reached Rocky Point. I took things to my Sonoran Sun rental condo and headed straight for Sandy Beach. Then was when and where I decided to make a video telling the story of what I consider to be an amazing day.
No need for a spoiler alert. I won’t write about all the details here. But it was the day I landed the only media interview with Pete Rose before he went to federal prison for tax evasion.
The guy led an extraordinary life. On the baseball diamond, he was a rare gem. However, outside the lines, it was a much different story. Anyway, many people choose the beach to bid farewell to someone who passed away. And this is what I did, bringing Pete Rose with me in spirit to Puerto Peñasco .