Netflix has officially confirmed the global release of its latest original sports documentary, “The Underdog,” a raw and revealing portrait of Pete Rose, the Cincinnati Reds icon whose unmatched talent and infamous fall from grace made him one of the most controversial figures in baseball history. The documentary is set to premiere on June 22, coinciding with what would have been Rose’s 84th birthday.
Known as “Charlie Hustle” for his all-out playing style and ferocious competitiveness, Pete Rose is still Major League Baseball’s all-time hit leader, with 4,256 hits over a storied career spanning 24 seasons. But Rose’s legacy remains forever complicated due to his lifetime ban from baseball for gambling on games while managing the Reds — a decision that kept him out of the Hall of Fame despite his legendary on-field accomplishments.
Directed by Oscar-nominated documentarian Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America), “The Underdog” takes a sweeping, emotionally charged look at Rose’s life — from his blue-collar roots in Cincinnati, to his meteoric rise with the Big Red Machine in the 1970s, to the scandal that forever reshaped how America views greatness, risk, and redemption.
“Pete Rose embodied the American dream and the American contradiction,” said Edelman. “He was brilliant, flawed, unapologetic, and unforgettable. This documentary doesn’t choose sides — it tells the whole truth.”
Featuring archival game footage, exclusive interviews with former teammates, rivals, family members, and journalists — including Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan’s family, and Bob Costas — the film captures the highs, the lows, and the enduring debate: Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?
The documentary also includes rare, never-aired audio from Rose recorded in the final year of his life, offering reflections on his career, his regrets, and the enduring loyalty of Reds fans.
Since Rose’s passing in 2023, public sentiment toward his legacy has softened, and “The Underdog” arrives at a moment when baseball is grappling with its past and rethinking its policies on punishment and forgiveness.
The trailer, released this morning, opens with the crack of a bat and Rose diving headfirst into third base — a moment that defined his career and his ethos. The closing line from Rose in the trailer: “They never could outplay me. So they outvoted me.”
Netflix’s “The Underdog” will be available for streaming on June 22, and is already being hailed by critics as “one of the most important sports documentaries of the decade.”