Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O'Brien

Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball Reviews

• 
  Scott

  "[Pete Rose] was almost ordinary. Arguably, the most ordinary extraordinary athlete in the entire history of American sports. Hardscrabble and gritty. Less talented than tough. A Rust Belt hero for a Rust Belt town. He was just like the fans . . . [But] he was uneducated and unpolished beneath the New Money shine. He was consorting with a screwball collection of bookies, lackeys, dope dealers, and wannabe mobsters, and he had surrounded himself with a small group of young admirers who were thrilled to be his friends and were willing to do anything to protect him." -- on pages 4 and 6
  
  O'Brien's Charlie Hustle is an outstanding and page-turning profile that examines the glorious highs and heartbreaking lows of one of baseball's most popular players, who rode a lightning streak of MLB success from the late 60's into the early 80's. Pete Rose made his name in the Cincinnati Reds - a hometown boy made good - and helped the team, a.k.a. 'The Big Red Machine,' clinch consecutive World Series victories in the mid-70's before jumping over to the Philadelphia Phillies for a number of seasons where he then helped that team win their first World Series. (As a southeastern PA pre-schooler circa-'79 Rose was probably the first pro athlete that I was ever consciously aware of, as his signing with the Phillies AND said subsequent World Series success were indelible local news.) But by the conclusion of the 80's - Rose was now managing his beloved Reds - a once-sturdy reputation crashed and burned to many in the aftermath of a damning official investigation into longstanding and rule-breaking gambling activities involving baseball games. It would be shortchanging O'Brien's thorough work to simply call this as a 'sports bio,' as it moves beyond just regurgitating stats or game highlights to present a portrait of a talented but flawed man who frustratingly / willingly put himself in an unfortunate position - Hall of Fame worthy or not? - that causes debate to this very day.
• 
  Katie B

  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.
• 
  Traci Thomas

  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.
• 
  Bonnie DeMoss

  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.
• 
  Al

  
  I probably didn’t need to read a book on Pete Rose but the cover was filled with compliments from some of my favorite sportswriters.
  
  We know the story of Rose. I think for me, as a kid, I didn’t realize that most of Rose’s career was already behind him. He seemed to loom large. Even know, those favorites of youth seem to be forgotten as they get compared to the mega stars of that previous generation.
  
  But this book was so well written that I couldn’t put it down. Rose truly is a great literary character. He’s not Mickey Mantle or some other person with this God given talent. He grinded out everyday to achieve more than his potential.
  
  Yet, he was completely self destructive. As admirable as his positive qualities are, he seemed to revel equally in his vices like women and gambling.
  
  Rose is an interesting story of a time that falls between the age where sports reporters swept things under the rug and this current environment where there is no privacy for the 24/7.
  
  Rose feels like a soap opera character that is on a route for disaster. Yet, even after we hear about his failings, we can’t help but ask rhetorically- why couldn’t he just admit his wrongdoing and move on.
  
  But he couldn’t. Like he couldn’t stop gambling- even when he was constantly losing, even when the last resort seemed to be betting on baseball.
  
  It’s hard to put in words why O’Neil nails it. I suppose it is all the research he put in it and the people he interviewed including Rose. It’s not treated in a sensationalist way, though that would have been the easy route.
  
  Perhaps it is Rose’s charisma. I have to admit that I didn’t know the level of detail. Yet, as with many of the supporting characters here, there’s a certain level of disbelief. This was Pete Rose. No one wanted to win more than him.
  
  The many stories we associate with Rose- his collison with Ray Fosse in the seemingly unimportant All Star game, the feud with team mate Johnny Bench who Rose was surely jealous of, and the relationship with the feisty Marge Schott.
  
  But also Rose’s dogged determination to chase Ty Cobb’s impossible Hits record, the ability to help his team by playing multiple positions and his ability to come through in the clutch.
  
  It truly is a fascinating story that I couldn’t put down. The book doesn’t detail much after the prison sentence. O’Neil admits that Rose didn’t want to talk about it, which may be part of the reason. It is also probably as not as compelling as the story until that point. Still, it doesn’t leave out that while Baseball decided to take down Rose, the Steroid era was beginning with nary any oversight. Also, in the more modern day, gambling outlets are big business partners with baseball, surely an irony of the whole situation.
• 
  Leigh Kramer

  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”
• 
  Lance

  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...
• 
  Gyalten Lekden

  This is a thorough exploration of Pete Rose, building a much bigger, more complex picture of the man than any fan or critic might get just from news headlines. It is really well researched and well written, with compelling prose that moves forward crisply and is a joy to read. At times, for important moments, the text almost slows down and feels like a play-by-play commentary, giving vivid descriptions of not just games but individual plays. This is a really effective style; it makes the experience more immersive. Generally, though, the chapters are short enough to grab your attention but keep you moving, which is appreciated. The writing feels fair and honest, trying to offer an unbiased accounting of a man who famously dissimulates as part of his public life, and probably his private life, too. If anything, instead of a vendetta this really feels like an apologetic, and while it does nothing to hide Rose’s flaws it contextualizes them and him in such a way as to let the reader understand his humanity.
  
  The middle section did stretch on a little more than it felt like was necessary, and while it was always pleasant to read it did feel like there could be some consolidation. Also, the subtitle is a little misleading, insofar it is hard to see what is being said about “the glory days of baseball,” and how/if Pete Rose’s admission had anything to do with them. It seems more that the steroid era of the 90s and Rose’s disgrace & dismissal were concurrent, and the subsequent decline in attention and popularity, all just happened to align. There is a lot to be said about the end of the glory days, but not much is really said about it here, except that Rose played and excelled at a time when US baseball was at its apex. So, the subtitle kind of wrote a check that the actual text didn’t really cash. But that doesn’t take away from how good this biography is. From the writing to the style to the empathy this is an engaging read and an important read for anyone interested in an incredibly important part of baseball’s modern history.
  
  (Rounded up from 3.5)
• 
  Wendi Manning

  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.
• 
  Brendan (History Nerds United)

  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.)
• 
  J.J.

  This book was a dose of nostalgia. I didn’t grow up watching Pete Rose and the Big Red Machine but I heard a lot about them from my mom and uncle. I learned a lot about Pete from this book. If you like baseball or a good biography, this is a good summer read.
• 
  Jeff

  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.
• 
  Fay

  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!
• 
  Jacob Baehner

  In the pages of this book I see a broken man. A man who had so many opportunities to turn his life around. So many chances to take accountability for his actions, face the consequences, and move on. Unfortunately that’s just not how Pete was built, he was a fighter. And this attitude really is what made him beloved by fans. He was Charlie Hustle, the kid from Cincinnati. But seeing this attitude play into his demise makes the story even more heartbreaking. If only he’d come clean sooner, then maybe he’d be in the hall and on good terms with MLB. I do believe before he died Pete was truly sorry not only for betting on baseball, but for all the lies he told in relation to it. Overall a great book that not only gives thorough detail on Pete’s career and gambling, but tells of his upbringing in a way that helps you see just how he became the man he was. While none of that justifies his actions, it humanizes him and makes it a whole lot easier to be empathetic for him.
• 
  Matthew Liberio

  A comprehensive look at the "complete works" of Pete Rose. A lot of people could speak of the accolades of Ruth, Mays, or Bonds. The lifetime banishment has been effective at keeping Rose out of baseball and out of the lore of the game. In this biography, O'Brien covers the baseball triumphs and the personal failures of one of baseball's greatest.
  
  I have always loved the sale in which Rose played. I learned a lot about his story in this, even parts I wish weren't true.
  
  There is a bit of side-questing here about the men adjacent to Pete Rose. I understand why they were featured, I just preferred Rose's parts, especially his baseball moments.
  
  Having grown up just after the end of Pete's baseball story, I enjoyed seeing it unfold in phases like this.
• 
  Jim

  Could not put down for the last 120 pages. An excruciating portrait of a very flawed yet immensely talented player and one of the greatest competitors of all time. The author holds a mirror up to Pete Rose for you to decide rather than choose sides. You won’t know the full story until you read this account.
• 
  Mike

  This is a superb, in-dept, and nuanced look at the life of Pete Rose. O'Brien leans into the warts-and-all nature of Rose's story, but does it with genuine heart and empathy for a figure who inspires and repels and mystifies in equal measure. While we all know how Pete's story ends, O'Brien brings us there in way that retains a heartbreaking series of surprises and realizations. I've read some great books on Pete Rose in recent years, and this one is a welcome addition to the canon. Highly recommended.
• 
  Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈

  I think it's a miraculous feat to get me to care about something like baseball, a sport I've never paid any attention to. However, despite all of the stats going over my head, O'Brien managed to make the recounts of the events in this book exciting. O'Brien paints a picture of Rose's feats extremely well and made the contrast of his fall even more jarring.
  
  Throughout this book, I found it fascinating how easily O'Brien emphasized that Rose wasn't the best player. He was literally a hustler, willing to throw himself in situations others wouldn't and he was extra a lot of the time. That personality of excess apparently translated to his personal life and ultimately led to his downfall.
  
  Rose is an interesting split of good and bad. While he said some questionable things about them, he was apparently more welcoming and supportive of players of color when many weren't. He was a hard worker and that didn't change with his higher paycheck. He respected reporters’ time and that made for someone many people had good things to say about.
  
  The offset of those things is that he was a notorious womanizer. Honestly, expected more to be made of him chasing after an underage girl because I don't care the time period, that was gross. The treatment of his first wife was despicable. The way he literally had his mistresses sitting a few rows from her in games, in the same hotel with her, and had one of them driving her car! I don't understand why she stayed for so long and I hate the way he ignored his daughter from that marriage in favor of his son.Terry's actions were trash, but the way he just abandoned her and that kid was terrible, too. I don't have much of an opinion on Carol, but I don't understand marrying into that.
  
  Honestly, I was most intrigued by Rose's ability to just blatantly lie. Even when presented with clear evidence, he told bold face lies. His gambling addiction was horrifying to read about. I got secondhand anxiety.
  
  Brief aside: This book talks about Terry having Rose's affair child and subsequently excludes this kid from his number of kids twice. I found that a bit confusing. When it mentions Carol's pregnancy, it says Carol's first, Pete's third. It would've fourth including Terry's child??
  
  Ultimately, I think perhaps the downfall could've been a little more succinct, but I think this book intended to explain why Rose's downfall was so astronomical in the baseball world. He managed to beat several legendary records and the book details the changes in the sport over time. I'm actually curious about the steroid era. Of all the sports ball, baseball is on the end of the spectrum of what I find interesting, but it's fascinating seeing that some baseball fans feel that was the most entertaining era of the sport. I don't have any interests with an equivalent conundrum, but considering how iconic some of the players are, I can understand why some fans still want them in the Hall of Fame with an asterisk next to their names.
• 
  Robert Sheard

  I grew up a baseball fan in this era, so this is a big part of my youth. I wasn’t necessarily a Pete Rose fan or a Reds fan (Let’s Go, Mets), but I watched his rise to stardom, and his collapse into depravity.
  
  Today, as a Newcastle United fan, having just watched one of our stars go through a ban for gambling, the issue is no less fraught for me. But Rose’s arrogance and refusal to come clean, despite several opportunities to do so condemns him forever in my eyes.
  
  At least Sandro Tonali cooperated with his investigation, admitted his guilt, and sought treatment. Rose wouldn’t do that until long after it was too late. I hope Sandro’s redemption arc continues. Rose should never be in the Hall of Fame.
• 
  Frank

  Perhaps I'm settling into a "Dad Lit" phase (e.g., nonfiction about sports, spies, and wars), but this book was great. I think it could appeal to the baseball apathetic. It's really a character study about a man who is both admirable and despicable. And the qualities that made him great were often the same qualities that made him awful. It's also a good baseball book. While I don't really follow baseball anymore, it made me nostalgic for my baseball card collecting days in the 80's.
• 
  Ben Donovan

  ok now I feel awkward putting this on Goodreads bc he died last night, but I started this book on the airplane back from FL like 10 days ago and just forgot to update for myself until, ya know, he passed away yesterday
• 
  Matt Sheridan

  Listened on audiobook! Loved it! Would recommend to all sportsball fans!
• 
  David Crabtree

  Agree 4.5 stars - the book presents good thought provoking morality questions about Pete thru his relationship with the game of baseball. Decent context around the lifetime ban. I now see the “why” but still not sure that I agree with it. No spoilers here - read the book!
• 
  Carla

  4.5 stars
  
  Pete Rose is one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the sport. He continually made incredible plays, stunned crowds, and broke records. He was the type of player that dropped jaws and gave one goosebumps.
  
  He also had a dark side. He liked to gamble - at first he really only visited the horse and dog tracks, but as time went on, he began betting on sports…eventually, he created the ultimate sin and bet against baseball. A clear violation of Rule 21(d), he was banned for life from baseball.
  
  What would have gone down in history as a fairytale ending, instead is marred by darkness. Even though I knew the ending, I wanted it to somehow play out differently. I want to be able to see his name in the Hall of Fame - I wish I could turn back the clock and keep him from betting on baseball. I can only imagine the regret he has…
  
  Kieth O’Brien knocked this one out of the park. I was completely taken by the Rose’s life and I couldn’t read it fast enough! If you love sports, baseball, and incredible athletes, add this one to your list!
• 
  Trevor Seigler

  Let me be clear up front: Pete Rose is a sack of crap. A talented sack of crap, but a sack of crap nonetheless. A gifted player who bet on baseball, showed zero remorse until he had a book to sell, and now haunts signing shows in any building that will book him. He's a disgusting turd of a human being. So why did I love this book?
  
  It could be that "Charlie Hustle," by Keith O'Brien, is at its heart a Shakespearean tragedy, the story of a great man undone by his own demons. It could be that O'Brien is a gifted writer, with an ability to bring to life all of Pete's sordid dealings with bookies and his lifestyle of having everything he wanted simply because of who he was (and is). It could be the schadenfreude of seeing Pete's world come crashing down. Whatever it is, "Hustle" is one of the best biographies that I've read in a long time.
  
  A few years back, I got the Pete Rose biography written by Kostya Kennedy, and similarly loved that book. This one is more linear in some ways, and less interested in Pete's post-baseball life (not that it's a huge part of the Kennedy book, but it's more present there). Here, O'Brien is interested in examining how a local kid with zero natural talent but a driving passion to win got himself on the Cincinnati Reds to begin with, and how he squandered his fame to pursue some really bad bets (including bets on his own team, when he was a player-manager).
  
  Rose was a talent on the base paths, but he sucked at gambling; what ultimately undid him was his inability or unwillingness to pay what he owed, and he owed a lot. Baseball wanted to look the other way, and did so for a long time, but when confronted with evidence that he'd bet on the sport, Rose denied it and denied himself any grace from the commissioner at the time, Bart Giamatti. In a matter of months, Rose was banned for life, Giamatti was dead, and baseball would never be the same.
  
  This is a fascinating look at a man who really didn't realize his fortune until it was too late, a man who lost everything because of his personal demons. Rose was a bad husband, a terrible gambler, and a morally repugnant human being, but he was also one of the last real superstars of the pre-steroid era and a man who had a fanbase in the palm of his hand. He lost it all, and while I go back and forth on whether he deserves enshrinement in the Hall of Fame, I think his historical legacy will forever be muddled and tainted by his own arrogant actions.
  
  "Charlie Hustle" is the document of a man whose hubris spelled his doom, and even now I doubt that Pete Rose understands how tarnished his legacy is. He's a sack of crap, but he's the subject of one of the finest biographies you'll read this year, or any year.
• 
  Chad Manske

  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.
• 
  William (Bill) Fluke

  A well-researched and well-written biography on Pete Rose. I found the book to be comprehensive and yet not bogged down in details that can happen with such fascinating subjects like Rose. The author is fine to skip over whole baseball seasons at a time and allow the spotlight to shine on what is most essential to understanding the life and times of this complicated character. The author does a great job of telling of the Bart Giametti investigation into Rose without over complicating things. It’s hard to imagine how the Pete Rose story would play out in todays 24 hour media cycle. Not just the gambling and womanizing , but the drug use and association with thugs would seem to get more notice and sooner than it did back in the 70’s and 80’s. Growing up during the time of Roses rise and fall made some of the story familiar to this reader but much had been forgotten. I like how the author told the whole story of Rose in a succinct 330 some pages. This is a great read for any baseball fan or anyone that has interest in a tragedy.