Report: Reds cancel plans for service to honor Pete Rose

An emotional Cincinnati Reds hall of famer Pete Rose adjusts his cap as he takes the microphone during a pregame ceremony for the unveiling of Pete Rose’s bronze statue being installed outside the stadium before the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Photo Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer

The plans for a service to honor the late Pete Rose apparently have hit a complication.

Sportswriter Tim Sullivan reported on Friday that the Reds had plans to hold a memorial service for Rose next weekend. However, Sullivan says the plans were canceled due to a dispute among Rose’s family.

Services for Pete Rose have hit a snag. The Reds have canceled plans to hold a public service next weekend, apparently because of a dispute among his survivors. In death as in life, the Hit King’s course has not run smooth.

— Tim Sullivan (@TimSullivan714) October 11, 2024

Rose was found dead at his home in Las Vegas, Nev. last Monday by his son, Tyler. The coroner reported that Rose’s death was due to heart disease and that the 83-year-old had died of natural causes.

Rose is one of the greatest players in baseball history and remains the all-time MLB hit king, though his exclusion from the Hall of Fame due to a gambling scandal defined his later years.

Much about his life — the gambling scandal, a prison sentence, divorces — was messy. It’s somewhat fitting that even after his death, things reportedly remain complicated.