Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose

Matt Roush says...

Was there ever a baseball superstar as scrappy — and as flawed — as Pete Rose, the hometown hero of the Cincinnati Reds? (Disclosure: I grew up in the shadow of the Big Red Machine during the team’s 1970s heyday.) “He should be one of the most exalted athletes in history,” laments sports broadcaster Al Michaels during a colorful four-part documentary airing over two nights (concluding Thursday) that depicts Rose’s triumphant and combative rise and devastating fall when Major League Baseball banned him for life from the sport after it was revealed that he bet on games while managing the Reds. “He was an entertainer … and a consummate liar,” says Sports Illustrated’s Larry Keith. Rose sits for new and candid interviews, having finally confessed his sins, though still arguing for reinstatement in his 80s.

What's Worth Watching (Jul 24)