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.

No one in baseball ever hustled on the field the way Rose did. Instead of a slow walk or trot to first base when he was walked by a pitcher, Rose would run. He took nothing for granted and was on top of every play in the field. The way he played is the dream of all of the statisticians in this new era of metrics. He produced runs, not by hitting long balls (although there were some of those), but by hustling and outthinking the other team. He thought nothing of laying down a bunt with nobody on and beating the throw to first base.

O’Brien interviewed many of the people who surrounded Rose throughout his life, including Rose himself. What started as trips to a racetrack in Kentucky evolved over the years to much more. O’Brien details how Rose went from betting a few dollars on horse races to betting thousands on every sport there was out there. There were a variety of hangers-on who helped expedite this. They were the “yes” men who never once took Rose aside and said he might have a problem.

The details of what was uncovered about Rose are presented here. The allegations of betting on baseball and the Cincinnati Reds while he was a player and manager are no longer debated. For many years, Rose denied these accusations, but it’s clear he wasn’t telling the truth then. He was trying to do anything he could not to be banned from playing and being involved with the game he loved. However, there are a number of other accusations that can’t be proven. In the waning years of his career as he was chasing Ty Cobb’s record of 4,191 hits he had a couple of off seasons before coming back with a vengeance. Several people have stepped forward and allege that Rose used corked bats, including the man who supposedly made them for him. Rose was also frequenting a gym where steroids were on the menu, and his radical physical change one year at spring training gives rise to a possibility that he was also using them. These last two allegations are the ones that really give me pause about Rose being in the Hall of Fame.

Rose might not have done anything while gambling to alter the game, but if his life had continued on the way it is detailed here likely would have put him in a position where he didn’t have a choice. He owed money to a lot of bad people and was getting deeper in debt all the time. Would the enforcers for some of the bookies and those attached to him have eventually put pressure on Rose to throw games in exchange for the money owed? O’Brien doesn’t ask this question, but he makes it clear that Rose was in so deep he couldn’t get out on his own.

There are moments where the good things Rose did are depicted. He welcomed players to the team who were shunned by others. It was less than twenty years since baseball had been integrated when Rose began to play, and many black players were still ostracized. Rose treated them better than many others and often sat with his black teammates in the dugouts – the only white player who would. That’s not to say Rose was perfect in that regard. There are some clear moments of racial ignorance as well.

A quarter of the size of this book are O’Brien’s footnotes and sources. I breezed through this part, but a few caught my eye as O’Brien details who told him what, and lets people decide for themselves if they are to be believed. Pete was not a nice guy, but despite never being faithful to his first wife, I could see she still cares about him for some reason. My one criticism of the book is that a daughter Pete had from one of his affairs is never talked about when O’Brien talks about Pete’s kids. It took a lawsuit by the grown-up daughter to get Pete to recognize her as his daughter, and O’Brien fails her as well in this regard, always only counting the children Pete had with either of his two wives. Pete Rose had five children, not four.

I would recommend Charlie Hustle to baseball fans, particularly those who believe after all this time Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. It’s not just that he’s a faulty human being as the rest of us are, but that his hubris that he should be allowed to get away with it because he’s Pete Rose that changes things. Would he be honest about using a corked bat or steroids to affect the game and his playing? This is a well-written and well-sourced thorough depiction of Rose the human being.

An excellent biography on one of the most polarizing figures in baseball history. From Pete Rose's early days as a high school athlete to his time as the Reds manager and baseball pariah, O'Brien provides much on how and why Pete Rose's trouble with gambling and baseball occured. He doesn't skirt around any of the issues that plagued Rose in his life. Pete Rose's Hall of Fame candidacy will always be a point of contention among baseball fans. but Keith O'Brien's book brings to light many of the problems that caused Rose's downfall.

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.

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.

I have been a baseball fan all my life. I'm 62 now. I remember with great fondness the career of Pete Rose. I watched as much of it as you could back then. I saw the play at the plate in the All-Star game with my dad on TV. I watched him break the records. I watched him get banned for life from the game because of gambling on baseball. And yet, I never knew most of the stuff that Keith O'Brien includes in this wonderful book. It doesn't praise the legend. Yet, it doesn't really cancel him either. It's a fair treatment of the man, his life, his passion for winning, and his many mistakes along the way that made him who he is. Charlie Hustle isn't just a nickname for Pete Rose, in many ways it is who the man is. Baseball fans will appreciate the behind the scenes depth of the book. The biography makes Pete Rose become a real person to us all. Not just a figure, not just the persona that is so polarizing, but in the end you can't help but feel some compassion for all he lost. I've long thought that Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame and this book doesn't change that. He should be in for what he did on the field. Yet there should be a sign that also tells of the mistakes he made off the field as a warning to others not to follow his path. This book may not change your opinion on that debate, but it will give you more insight into the circumstances that led to those tragic mistakes.

An in-depth biography of Pete Rose. The author goes into great, documented detail on Rose's gambling activities, information even serious baseball fans don't know. It's an enlightening well-written book.

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.

"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.