Former Cincinnati Reds first baseman Tony Perez and Pete Rose developed a close friendship during their time together playing for the same MLB franchise.
The baseball world continues to mourn the loss of MLB’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose.
Rose, 83, died on Sept. 30. His historic achievements on the baseball diamond and his Hall of Fame aspirations were undermined by his decision to place wagers on the game he loved.
On Tuesday, the Clark County Coroner’s Office in Nevada revealed that Rose died of hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Rose spent 19 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, playing alongside Tony Perez for 16 of those years.
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Rose, along with Perez, Ken Griffey Sr., and other members of Cinncinati’s “Big Red Machine,” attended the Music City Sports Collectibles and Autograph Show in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 29.
PETE ROSE’S DEATH SENDS BASEBALL WORLD INTO MOURNING: ‘ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN’
Perez detailed what ultimately became his final time with his friend and former teammate, saying some concerns did arise because Rose did not seem to be his normal self. “He wasn’t feeling that well, he didn’t look too good,” Perez told TMZ. “He wasn’t a talker. He didn’t say much.”
Baseball Hall of Famer and former Reds great Johnny Bench was not at the collectible show, but he said some of the other retired players who did attend shared their concerns with him.
“The guys were very concerned about him on Sunday because they said he just wasn’t the same old Pete. It’s sad. It really is,” Bench said on Tuesday during his appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.”
Perez said he also saw Rose six months ago at a different card show. He said Rose’s condition appeared to be in a much better state at that time than it was this past weekend.
Perez, who is also a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, reflected on his time being teammates with Rose.
“You see him play and you have to play the way he plays,” Perez said. “When you didn’t run the ball out or run the base like you’re supposed to do, you’re going to look bad, because Pete, he was a machine. He never stopped, and he was gone. You have to play hard like he did.”
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