Larry Shenk still remembers the day at Veterans Stadium in 1981.

Shenk, longtime head of public relations for the Philadelphia Phillies, walked him down the hall Piet Roos right after “Charlie Hustle” broke Stan Musial’s all-time National League hits record.

“I assume the president is calling me tonight, right?” Shenk said Rose asked him at the time.

Rose did not know that President Ronald Reagan called to congratulate him on the milestone.

“It was the most hilarious press conference we had because Ronald Reagan couldn’t reach Pete Rose,” Shenk said. “Pete Rose once said, ‘It’s a good thing there’s no rocket.'”

Rose, the all-time MLB leader and three-time World Series champion who helped the Phillies to their first title in 1980, has died, the Clark County Office of the Nevada Coroner/Medical Examiner confirmed Monday. He was 83. The cause of his death has not yet been determined.

Rose racked up 4,256 hits, beating Ty Cobb’s record, was a 17-time All-Star and three-time batting champion and won the NL MVP with the Reds in 1973.

In 1989, Rose was banned from baseball and was ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rose spent five seasons with the Phillies from 1979 to 1983, and Shenk, as the team’s head of PR, was there to see it all.

“He was a winner,” Shenk said. “He came from Cincinnati, where they won with the Big Red Machine. Philadelphia was hungry for a winner at that time. We had a good young team with (Mike) Schmidt, (Larry) Bowa, (Greg) Luzinski, (Steve) Carlton , but we needed that spark to get over the hump and he was the right choice.”

Phillies and Reds react to Pete Rose’s death

Rose spent the early part of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, where he won two World Series. But he came to Philadelphia in 1979 and called the Vet for five seasons until 1983, where he helped the franchise win its first World Series in 1980.

In five seasons with the Phillies, Rose slashed .29/.365/.361 with a .726 OPS and recorded 826 total hits. Rose went to the All-Star game four of his five seasons in Philadelphia.

“The Phillies are saddened by the passing of Pete Rose,” the Phillies wrote in a statement. “He will always be remembered for his perseverance and his commitment, and for playing an integral role in bringing the team its first World Series championship.”

Schmidt, who played with Rose on the 1980 World Series team, said in a statement that he was “saddened” to hear about Rose’s death.

“My heart goes out to his family,” Schmidt said in a statement. “I was lucky to play with Pete and watch him every day. As a teammate he boosted my confidence, made me laugh and kept me loose. He taught me to enjoy the game, perhaps the advice I needed most.”

Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies’ former general manager and outfielder and currently an analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia, posted a photo of X on Rose following the news of his death.

The Reds, where Rose played for 19 seasons, said they were devastated to hear of Rose’s death.

Rose’s complicated legacy

Rose was beloved by the fans in Philly, even though he only played in the city for five seasons. He embodied the grit and strength of Philadelphia.

But Rose’s baseball legacy was tarnished after he was banned from the sport and ineligible for the Hall of Fame due to game betting.

Rose was also accused of having a relationship with a minor in 1973 while playing for the Reds, prompting the Phillies scrap plans to include him in the Wall of Fame in 2017.

In 2022, Rose made his first appearance at Citizens Bank Park since receiving a lifetime baseball ban questions about sexual misconduct dismissed.

“It was 55 years ago, honey,” Rose told Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer at the time.

Rose later apologized to Coffey, saying, “Will you forgive me if I sign 1,000 baseballs for you?”

The woman, identified in 2017 as Jane Doe, said Rose called her in 1973, when she was 14 or 15, and they began a sexual relationship in Cincinnati that lasted several years. She also alleged that Rose met her for sex at locations outside of Ohio.

Rose’s lawyer had said at the time that the woman’s claims had not been verified.

Rose acknowledged in 2017 that he did have a relationship with the woman, but he said it started when she was 16. He also said they never had sex outside of Ohio.

Rose was then in her mid-thirties, married and had two children.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.