On the Fence
In August 1984 I traveled back to my hometown of Cincinnati for a Reds game at Riverfront Stadium. It wasn’t just any game. My childhood hero, Pete Rose, was returning to the Reds as player manager of the team. I remember the standing ovation he received in his first at bat. And why not! Rose, raised in Cincinnati and a local legend, had captained the Big Red Machine in the 1970s and delighted the home crowd with his style of play. I thought then that he would end his career as a Red and be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot five years later. Little did we know at that time what the future might bring.
Pete Rose passed away on September 30, 2024, at the age of 83. During his baseball career and until the day he died, Rose was a controversial, sports figure whom you either loved or despised. I idolized him as a player. Affectionately nicknamed “Charlie Hustle”, Rose played the game harder than anyone – sprinting to first base on a walk; diving for infield ground balls; crashing into outfield walls; and sliding head first into third base. One of my fondest memories is the interview of Rose by NBC broadcaster Curt Gowdy prior to Game 7 of the 1975 World Series. On the night before, the Red Sox defeated the Reds in heartbreaking fashion, 7-6, in 12 innings to tie the Series. Yet, Rose told Gowdy “that was the greatest game I ever played in”. In Game 7, the Reds staged their own comeback, winning 4-3, as Rose scored the winning run.
Rose in his playing career compiled eye popping numbers – games played (3,562); at-bats (14,053); singles (3,215); and a 44-game hitting streak (3rd longest in MLB history). Baseball fans remember him as the “Hit King”, as he broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record (4,191) with an incredible 4,256 hits in his career. How about the awards – 3 World championships; NL MVP (1973); three NL batting titles; two Gold Gloves; and 17 All-Star appearances! And even during his tenure as manager of the Reds (1984-1989), Rose compiled a winning percentage of .525. Post baseball, Rose would often say that the all-time hits record wasn’t his greatest accomplishment, but it was that he played in more winning games than anyone in MLB history.
So why was he so despised by other MLB fans? It was the way he played the game! In the 1970 All-Star Game, he bowled over Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse at home plate to win what many deemed a meaningless, exhibition game. The collision seemed to ruin Fosse’s promising career. Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS between the Mets and Reds featured Rose sliding into New York shortstop Bud Harrelson to break up a double play, leading to a fight between the two and a bench-clearing brawl. I’ll never forget attending a Reds vs. Cubs game in 1978 at Wrigley. Rose, playing third base, leaped into the air to backhand a line drive headed down the left field corner for the third out of the inning. He spiked the ball on the infield grass. The Chicago crowd greeted him with language not to be put in print. Rose was not a fan favorite outside of Cincy.
It's difficult to put into words the attachment that Cincinnatians had with Rose. When he returned home in August 1984 from stints with playing for the Phillies and Expos, game after game he was greeted with chants of “Pete, Pete!” On September 11, 1985, I watched along with the rest of the country on national television when Rose’s hit #4192 safely landed on the outfield turf at Riverfront Stadium. It was a joyous moment as Rose was embraced at first by his son, Pete Jr., and then the entire Reds team.
Pete’s playing career ended during the next season, and then came the gambling, and yes, the lies. In August 1989 a story broke that Rose gambled on baseball games while he played for and managed the Reds. I recall Marty Brenneman, Reds’ longtime radio announcer, defending Rose on the airwaves. I so hoped that Brenneman was correct and the allegations weren’t true. Rose was soon placed on the permanent ineligibility list. In 1991, the Hall of Fame voted to ban players on the permanent ineligibility list from induction.
Rose wrote a handful of books, waffling on positions about his gambling on sports. Finally, he admitted in 2004 to gambling on baseball, but only as a manager of the Reds and for them to win. ESPN reported later that Rose also bet as a player, but he wouldn’t admit to it. Sports talk shows, columnists, and podcasts have wrestled for years with the discussion on whether Rose’s gambling on baseball should preclude his induction into the Hall of Fame. Rose maintained this his work on the playing field alone should earn him a spot. His defenders point to the numerous inductees whose own lives lacked personal integrity. And in recent years, baseball itself endorses gambling during game broadcasts, at nearby betting parlors, and even on the outfield walls of ballparks. Rose’s critics though point to his committing the ultimate sin – betting on games that he was a part of.
Throughout the years, I’ve struggled personally on the topic of Rose’s induction. I continued to think about all the joy my baseball hero gave me as a kid. I kept asking myself, why doesn’t Pete just simply admit everything and ask for forgiveness? He never did. Indeed, in an interview with the New York Times just ten days before his passing last September, he maintained his position. Rose mused: “I’ve come to the conclusion – I hope I’m wrong – that I’ll make the Hall of Fame after I die. . . .What good is it going to do me or my fans if they put me in the Hall of Fame couple years after I pass away? What’s the point?”
After his death, the Reds hosted a Visitation in November 2024 at Great American Ballpark. Long lines of beloved fans honored Rose one last time. This year you will see his number, #14, as a jersey patch on the Reds uniforms. Rose’s family, led by his daughter Fawn, is now leading the charge to put Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame posthumously. Reports are that Commissioner Rob Manfred seems receptive to the idea.
For my 40th birthday, I attended a Reds fantasy baseball camp in Sarasota, Florida. It was one of the most glorious weeks in my life, the chance to play for and against former Reds players. Out of the 72 camp participants, 20 of them, including me, chose #14 as their uniform number. I cherish that uniform still hanging in my closet. If I had the ability to attend camp today, I’m sure I’d select that same number 14. Yet, if I had the privilege to vote for HOF players, I’m just not sure what I’d do. I continue to struggle, teetering on the fence, but leaning toward induction. So tell me readers, in, out, or on the fence?
Until next Monday,
your Baseball Bench Coach
P.S. As I was writing this blog post, word came that former Reds second baseman, Tommy Helms, had also just passed away at age 83. Helms was a defensive stalwart, winning two Gold Gloves. He was also the 1966 NL Rookie of the Year. I met Helms at the baseball camp years ago. He was a close friend of Pete’s, in fact he managed the Reds for short times when Rose was suspended in 1988 and banned in 1989. Helms served as Rose’s baseball bench coach.