To create a more complete portrait of a problematic 20th-century character, Keith O’Brien gathered 160 hours of interviews, 27 of which were with Rose herself.
From the 1960s through the 1980s, Pete Rose played in 24 Major League Baseball seasons and amassed the most hits of any player in history. With his relentless, bull-in-a-china-shop effort on the field, Rose earned the nickname Charlie Hustle and was quickly headed for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
However, after betting on games that he both managed and participated in, as well as for continuously lying about it, he threw it all away and received a lifetime baseball ban.
Of course, you are familiar with the tale. You might be wondering why, at this point in time, someone would spend years of their lives conversing with investigators, baseball commissioners, rival teams, rival teams, ex-wives, and pals who wagered on Rose.
However, as author Keith O’Brien tells Houston Matters host Craig Cohen, he thought that Rose’s full tale had never really been presented adequately, so that’s precisely what he did.
For his new book, Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose and the Last Glory Days of Baseball, O’Brien conducted 160 hours of interviews, 27 of which were with Rose himself.
Prior to an event at Blue Willow Bookshop tonight at seven, O’Brien spoke with Houston Matters.
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