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
Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones
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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.
The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.
Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.
Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.
A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.
When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
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Sports
Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational
William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.
“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.
Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.
Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.
“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.
He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.
“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”
It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.
Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway
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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.
McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.
A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.
WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)
Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.
He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.
“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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