Sports
Legendary sportscaster Jim Gray remembers MLB great Pete Rose
Pete Rose transfixed Major League Baseball audiences for 24 years across three different organizations as he set all-time records for hits, at-bats and games played.
The Clark County Coroner in Nevada confirmed to Fox News on Monday that Rose had died at the age of 83. The cause of death was not immediately known. As word about his death trickled out to the world, tributes and remembrances poured in.
“Charlie Hustle,” as he was called in his glory days with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos, was remembered as a polarizing figure in the baseball world who seemingly gave it his all whether he played in the afternoon, evening or in exhibition games.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Pete Rose slides to third base during a baseball game against the New York Mets in Philadelphia on June 3, 1981. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)
“Dogged, determined, relentless, competitor, vicious competitor with what he did to Ray Fosse during the All-Star Game in a game that maybe mattered back then,” legendary sportscaster Jim Gray told Fox News Digital when asked to describe the competitor Rose was for the baseball fan who is more in tune with the stars of today. “I think he played and cared about the results. He cared about his personal results. He cared about his team results and he was aggressive. The fans loved him. They loved that he showed up for work every day and gave it his all. And to my knowledge, what we saw of on the field was his pursuit to win.”
Gray recalled some of his first memories of Rose on the field when he was a broadcaster for Phillies pre-game shows. Rose played in Philadelphia from 1979 to the middle of the 1983 season, when he was traded to the Expos.
The greatness he brought on the field would eventually be overshadowed during his time as the Reds’ manager by a gambling scandal not seen in the sport since the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.
Rose was questioned in February 1989 about whether he had gambled on baseball and, at the time, only admitted to making bets on football, basketball and horse racing and vehemently denied betting on baseball. Some of the allegations were detailed in a Sports Illustrated story which sparked lawyer John M. Dowd to conduct an investigation and deliver it to then-Commissioner Bart Giamatti.
Dowd’s report was submitted to Giamatti in May 1989 and published in June 1989. The report alleged that Rose had bet on at least 52 Reds games in 1987.
Pete Rose died on Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Rose eventually agreed to voluntarily be placed on baseball’s ineligible list with the option that he could apply for reinstatement. Gray told Fox News Digital that Rose and Giamatti wanted to figure out how he could get back into the game, but Rose’s lawyer, Reuven Katz, did not want his client to admit to gambling on baseball and take the deal that was being offered – which included Rose seeking extensive help for addiction and rehabilitation.
According to Gray, Dowd told him that Katz said to Giamatti, “Peter’s a legend.” To which Giamatti replied, “No, baseball’s the legend.”
PETE ROSE’S DEATH SENDS BASEBALL WORLD INTO MOURNING: ‘ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN’
Rose applied for reinstatement in 1992, 1998, 2003, 2015, 2020 and 2022. However, each commissioner, Fay Vincent, Bud Selig and Rob Manfred, either never acted on it or outright denied Rose’s requests. Being on the ineligible list kept Rose from being in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Rose’s support seemed to be split among legends in the game. Ted Williams said in 2000 he did not believe Rose should be in the Hall Fame.
“I feel sorry for Pete Rose, but he committed the cardinal sin of baseball. He gambled,” he told The New York Times.
Former Philadelphia Phillies player Pete Rose waves to fans during an alumni day on Aug. 7, 2022 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Mike Schmidt conceded in 2017 that Rose would not get into the Hall of Fame but wondered why the hitting machine never got the “same level of forgiveness” other guys have when it came to performance-enhancing drugs, according to the Philly Voice.
Years later, Rose admitted to betting on baseball in an autobiography despite repeated denials – including one in a famous 1999 interview with Gray at Turner Field when he was honored as part of the All-Century Team.
Additionally, as sports gambling became more prevalent across the United States, Manfred made clear that reinstating Rose would be “an unacceptable risk.”
Gray, who wrote about Rose in his book, “Talking to GOATs: The Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard,” said he did not think it was strange that Rose was still ineligible even with baseball’s close ties to gambling.
“No, I don’t find that strange,” Gray told Fox News Digital. “The rules were the rules and the rules were applied to him based on the conditions at the time that this was going on. He signed his own banishment from baseball with the opportunity to reapply and none of those applications were successful.
Former Cincinnati Reds player Pete Rose waves to fans after being introduced during the Reds Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on July 15, 2023, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
“So, he knew the conditions, and he agreed to those conditions. And just because the times have changed and things have changed doesn’t alter in any way the main fundamental issue. And that is any active manager, player, or anybody in an official capacity involved in baseball can ever gamble on the sport. No sport can ever accept that, and if caught doing so, then the punishment has to be severe.”
Gray added that he still thought Rose deserved to be in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown but with an explanation about his wrongdoings.
“Having said all that and understanding that the Hall of Famer is coupled with being banned from baseball and no gambling. We don’t live in the Soviet Union. And you can’t erase a man’s records. And what he did on the field is worthy of the Hall of Fame because he had more hits than anybody, and he was prolific at that. And the plaque and the honor never, obviously, came during his life. If they were to do it posthumously, perhaps it should reflect that he was banned from baseball and the reason and the reason why on the plaque – for gambling. But he should be in the Hall of Fame. You just can’t say it didn’t exist.”
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Sports
Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship
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There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.
Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.
Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.
“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”
If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.
The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.
“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Taylor Crabb is no stranger to South California beaches. The Long Beach State alum returns home this weekend to compete in AVP League matches.
It marks the first time AVP will compete in Long Beach since 2020 and allows players to compete at the 2028 Olympics beach volleyball venue.
Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.
After years of competing with various different partners, Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh have delivered the top performances this AVP season.
The following interview with Crabb has been edited for clarity and length.
Are you excited to compete in this weekend’s event at Long Beach?
Crabb: Very excited. A lot of my college teammates and part of the school have reached out, saying that they’re gonna come. So I’m excited to get a chance to play in front of them again.
When was the last time you were in Long Beach?
Crabb: I always try to go down there for alumni events or any big games they have. I went to UCLA against Long Beach last year, when it was No. 1 versus No. 2, so I always try to get down there and support them.
You missed out on the chance to compete in the 2020 Olympics because of COVID-19 restrictions and chose not to pursue a spot at the 2024 Olympics. Are you fired up to try to compete in the 2028 Olympics, knowing that Long Beach will host the competition?
Crabb: Yeah, it’s definitely an exciting time having the Olympics in Long Beach, and we kind of get to break it in this weekend. As you said, Tokyo didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m going full force now. I have a great partner in Andy Benesh, who obviously went to the Paris Olympics, and if it weren’t for the Olympics being in Long Beach, and me getting a partner like Andy, I’m not even sure I’d be going for it, but because of those two things, I want to make the most of it.
You mentioned that if it wasn’t for a partner like Andy, you wouldn’t be going for it. What do you mean by that?
Crabb: I didn’t feel motivated by playing in all the international events, but now, I think, sitting out kind of lit the fire under me, and I’m really motivated now.
You’ve had different partners throughout your time. What other motivation does Andy give you?
Crabb: He’s been, in my mind, the top blocker for the U.S. the last four or five years. Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see. And I just want to make him proud.
Why do you love volleyball?
Crabb: A lot of reasons, but it’s just a feeling I have when I’m out there on the court. It feels natural. It feels like home. I was born into a volleyball family. I had a volleyball in my hands my entire life, so I’ve always just enjoyed it.
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CM Punk appeared on “Friday Night SmackDown” ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell “out of the sky.”
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Cody Rhodes and CM Punk face off during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
“When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them,” he said.
Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the “American Nightmare” came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.
“I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore,” Punk told Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes looks on during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just “say when.” It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, “when.” SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.
Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.
Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.
Gunther makes his entrance during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.
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