“CHARLIE HUSTLE: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball” by Keith O’Brien
Pete Rose bounded out of the dugout like a hurricane spinning unfettered through the world. He slid head-first into bases in a mist of dust and fury. He sprinted out walks like a teenager. He was loud. Brash. Supremely confident. Entirely focused. He approached every game with ferocity and raw emotion—often like he was in the middle of a bar room brawl—and endeared himself to the fans because of it. He seemed to manufacture runs out of pure will power. He racked up mind-boggling stats and awards and streaks and wins and pennants and titles with seeming ease. When his team needed clutch hits, he provided them. When glory was 90 feet away, he reached for it. He bowled over catchers at home plate, shouted at pitchers to intimidate them, and ripped through middle infielders to break up the play. He would beat them all. One way or another. Pete Rose would never back down. Could never back down.
This spring, author Keith O’Brien and Pantheon Books will present the gritty and gripping new biography of the flawed legend—baseball’s tragic character—the man who could never return to the game he lived to play: “CHARLIE HUSTLE: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball” (Pantheon Books, March 26, 2024). It is a story unlike any other in baseball history. A story of virtuosity and success; addictions and secrets; recklessness and many missed opportunities for salvation.
For over 25 years in Major League Baseball—from 1963 to 1989—Pete Rose was the sport’s unquestioned hero on the field. He was the heart of the Big Red Machine dynasty in Cincinnati. Rookie of the Year in 1963. MVP in 1973. He won three batting titles. Two gold gloves. Six National League pennants. Three World Series titles. He was named to 17 NL All-Star games at five different positions. He became the all-time hit king in the process, surpassing the legendary Ty Cobb. He was extraordinary while seemingly ordinary in equal measure, and the fans loved him for what they knew to be true. Pete Rose wasn't physically gifted or a particularly special athlete. He was like the rest of us. He was Charlie Hustle. The American Dream in red stirrup socks. Baseball personified. With bat in hand, Pete Rose was the hero, forever young, forever relevant, but a storm was coming.
About the Author
Keith O’Brien is the New York Times best-selling author of Paradise Falls, Fly Girls, and Outside Shot, a finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing, and an award-winning journalist. O’Brien has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Politico, and his stories have also appeared on National Public Radio and This American Life. He lives in New Hampshire.
About the Book
“CHARLIE HUSTLE: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball”
Author: Keith O’Brien
Publisher: Pantheon Books
Release Date: March 26, 2024
Details: Hardcover / 464 pages / $17.99
ISBN: 978-0593317372
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