Reds icon Pete Rose earns ultimate praise from legendary broadcaster Al Michaels

Pete Rose is arguably one of the most polarizing players in the history of professional sports. The Cincinnati Reds legend is still beloved in the Queen City to this day, and though his faults off-the-field have been well documented, his on-field performance was always the epitome of hard work, grit, and determination.

It was that tenacity that led Rose to be crowned with the nickname 'Charlie Hustle'. And it was that same persistence and bulldog spirit that legendary broadcaster Al Michaels cited when he called the Reds legend his all-time favorite athlete to cover.

Iconic broadcaster Al Michaels calls Reds legend Pete Rose his all-time favorite athlete

During a guest appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Michaels was asked to share a story from his early days in the broadcast business. While most of the Cincinnati faithful are keenly aware of Marty Brennaman's Hall of Fame career behind the microphone, few Reds fans might remember that he was preceded by Michaels in the radio booth.

Michaels was the play-by-play voice for the Redlegs back in the early-1970s and maintained that position for three seasons. He left Cincinnati in 1974 to pursue a much more lucrative offer with the San Francisco Giants and was replaced by Brennaman who spent 40-plus seasons as the voice of the Reds.

"Well I know that my favorite athlete to cover was Pete Rose," Michaels said in response to Rome's question about his early days in Cincinnati. "And why is that? Because Pete Rose was balls out in a spring training game in the seventh game of World Series. And I covered him under both circumstances. I never saw anybody as invested in the game as him."

That's high praise coming from one of the greatest broadcasters of all-time. Michaels experience behind the mic is not limited just to baseball. He began his career as the color commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Chick Hearn — though that only lasted four games.

Michaels then landed in Cincinnati in 1971 as the Reds radio voice before jetting off to San Fran to cover the Giants. From there, Michals joined ABC Sports. His résumé includes the Indianapolis 500, the Kentucky Derby, Monday Night Football, and of course, The Miracle on Ice in 1980 when the United States men's hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York.

So Michaels has seen a lot, and for him to bestow Rose with the title of his all-time favorite athlete is quite the honor for the Reds legend.