You can take this nickname two ways, depending on how you view his playing career, and how you view his exit from baseball. Both are appropriate.

Fit him perfectly. Say what you will about him naysayers, no one ever played the game harder or with more passion. Played the game on the field the way it's supposed to be played.

Pete Rose hustled one time too many.

There seems to be some dispute over where this nickname originated. I always thought Mickey Mantle called him this first but now I see the name attributed to Whitey Ford. It doesn't matter, no nickname ever fit anyone so aptly. The Big Red Machine would not have been so fearsome without Pete Rose in his prime. He played the game the way fans (who are paying for their seats) always hope it will be played. One funny observation: Rose pressured everyone, opponents, teammates, umpires, etc. Given a base on balls, he sprinted to first base, every time. While batting, he made a point to watch the ball all the way into the catcher's glove, then continued his eyesight track directly into the ump's eyes, turning his shoulders square with the ump, as if to say, that was a ball, right? When the ump called a strike, he would retain eye contact until the ump looked at him, usually saying nothing, just glaring at the loss of one strike, which he would grudgingly relinquish, as he prepared for the next pitch. The few times he was called out on strikes were just ugly, especially in a penant race. He hustled everything.

I never saw him play live, but I've seen him on tape and he seemed to hustle. But I don't think that he should be in the hall of fame untill he's dead. The ban was for LIFE.

fit the guy while he played and seems to fit Pete Rose now as a banned former gambler. I caught the tale end of his career(the late Philly, Expos, Reds Mach II)when i started becoming a baseball fan, and in his late 30's and early 40's Pete Rose was STILL considered a feared hitter and baserunner.