I guess the fine folks at Fox Sports heard the comments that “official baseball” had nothing to say about Pete Rose. Yesterday during the pregame show before the Mets-Phillies game, someone finally threw a sanctioned wake for Pete Rose which completely ignored the fact that his own conduct undermined the game he professed to love.
I was pretty disgusted when Fox hired Rose for their studio show. Although I’m not enamored of Alex Rodriguez getting such a prominent role on the network when he, too, blatantly disregarded the rules and disrespected the game through his years of steroid use and abuse, at least he has been contrite and he served his suspension. I may not like it, but he’s done his time. Rose, by contrast, was a consistent, unrepentant liar who never availed himself of numerous opportunities to not only admit what he did but to apologize for his gross misconduct of betting on baseball. For Fox to glorify Rose and simply pretend that he did not receive - and agree to receive! - a lifetime ban from baseball is appalling. When he was on the air, I had to shut it off.
Gambling is obviously everywhere now - I get that. But that does not retroactively exonerate Pete Rose. Major League Baseball Rule 21, when Rose played and still today, prohibits betting on baseball, including legal betting. And why? Because it undermines the integrity of the game. Fox should never have aligned itself with Rose, and in my view, because he violated one of the most fundamental rules of the game, he should not be honored with induction into the Hall of Fame, regardless of his accomplishments.
Will, thank you for this great reflection on Pete Rose. People like Pete Rose and Rush Limbaugh are so much smaller in death than in life, and that is fitting and right. We can only hope that the smallest and most pathetic man of my lifetime suffers the same fate.
You were very perceptive in showing that we all ALLOWED and even encouraged Pete Rose to live that shallow, selfish, arrogant and really empty and pitiful life.
Gone but not forgotten is hopefully reserved for those who contribute something real and meaningful and beneficial to this world of ours. That is not Pete Rose.
Another excellent article about a powder keg subject, Will.
As a long-time Dodger fan, the Reds were the Dodgers biggest rival in the 70's. Pete Rose was always that thorn in the Dodgers' side and he annoyed the snot out of me. I never liked him, one bit. Then he became the manager of the Reds, then all the gambling stuff came out. No way should he ever be in the HOF.
There was a big sign outside the Frontier hotel that read, "MEET THE HIT KING PETE ROSE HERE!" or something similar. Of course you had to pay for his autograph to do so. "Yeah no shit" I thought.
Anyway, he was behind a wall in the casino that I just casually walked behind, and there he was. Sitting at a table, all alone.
I said, "Yo Charlie Hustle! What's good man? I have nothing for you to sign, I just wanted to say hello."
Shockingly, he could NOT have been any nicer. He was great. I mentioned I was at Shea Stadium the night he tied the NL record for most consecutive games with a hit and we had a great discussion about that streak. We chatted for a good fifteen minutes.
If I had to describe him in one word that day, I'd say "pleasant." I expected the exact opposite.
I know he treated most people like shit, but he was fantastic to me that day and that memory lingers.
I genuinely wish this was the retort I had to the people in my group chats who all offered some variation of “Hit King! Nothing else matters!” I honestly wanted to get into all of it, but it’s all so, so tiring, man (and reminds me entirely too much of the other guy we’re all thinking about). This absolutely should be the last word on him, so thank you for making it the best way to close the story out.
Once again, you wrote a wonderful sports piece that you don't have to care a smidge about sports to enjoy. I'm so glad that there are writers like you expanding our information overloads.
Yeah well snark at Pete make it a racial thing- be a virtue posturing soy boy- the truth is that Pete was a great pure hitter for a long time and that no one ever had a more burning desire to win
Pete Rose has always been a part of my baseball memories from my childhood to adulthood. From the time he was a part of the "Big Red Machine" with Reds in the '70s to the Phillies in the '80s, and eventually back to the Reds as a player/manager.
The one time I actually saw Rose play in person was in 1983 at Busch Stadium when he was with the Phillies and led off the game against Cardinal lefty Dave LaPoint. LaPoint struck him out and Rose gave him a look like, kid that's the last time. And it was. As I remember Rose had a great game at the plate that day.
Players in those days had one thing they were required to avoid, gambling on baseball. That's all. They could drink, chase women, pop pills, and abuse their wives and children. The only thing they weren't allowed to do was bet on baseball. Rose couldn't abide by that one rule. As Will so well pointed out in this piece, he lied when got caught, lied again, and kept lying until it reached a point of no return for MLB. A great player, but he was his own worst enemy.
Save that last paragraph to reuse in November
I guess the fine folks at Fox Sports heard the comments that “official baseball” had nothing to say about Pete Rose. Yesterday during the pregame show before the Mets-Phillies game, someone finally threw a sanctioned wake for Pete Rose which completely ignored the fact that his own conduct undermined the game he professed to love.
I was pretty disgusted when Fox hired Rose for their studio show. Although I’m not enamored of Alex Rodriguez getting such a prominent role on the network when he, too, blatantly disregarded the rules and disrespected the game through his years of steroid use and abuse, at least he has been contrite and he served his suspension. I may not like it, but he’s done his time. Rose, by contrast, was a consistent, unrepentant liar who never availed himself of numerous opportunities to not only admit what he did but to apologize for his gross misconduct of betting on baseball. For Fox to glorify Rose and simply pretend that he did not receive - and agree to receive! - a lifetime ban from baseball is appalling. When he was on the air, I had to shut it off.
Gambling is obviously everywhere now - I get that. But that does not retroactively exonerate Pete Rose. Major League Baseball Rule 21, when Rose played and still today, prohibits betting on baseball, including legal betting. And why? Because it undermines the integrity of the game. Fox should never have aligned itself with Rose, and in my view, because he violated one of the most fundamental rules of the game, he should not be honored with induction into the Hall of Fame, regardless of his accomplishments.
I knew nothing about Pete Rose but now I feel like I know everything I need to. Great piece!
Thank you! I'm kinda glad I don't have to write about him again.
I believe it!
Will, thank you for this great reflection on Pete Rose. People like Pete Rose and Rush Limbaugh are so much smaller in death than in life, and that is fitting and right. We can only hope that the smallest and most pathetic man of my lifetime suffers the same fate.
You were very perceptive in showing that we all ALLOWED and even encouraged Pete Rose to live that shallow, selfish, arrogant and really empty and pitiful life.
Gone but not forgotten is hopefully reserved for those who contribute something real and meaningful and beneficial to this world of ours. That is not Pete Rose.
This is something I think a lot about as I get older. There really are people who get smaller in death.
#LGM!
So THIS went well today.
Another excellent article about a powder keg subject, Will.
As a long-time Dodger fan, the Reds were the Dodgers biggest rival in the 70's. Pete Rose was always that thorn in the Dodgers' side and he annoyed the snot out of me. I never liked him, one bit. Then he became the manager of the Reds, then all the gambling stuff came out. No way should he ever be in the HOF.
And Go Illini!!
I once met Pete Rose here in Vegas.
There was a big sign outside the Frontier hotel that read, "MEET THE HIT KING PETE ROSE HERE!" or something similar. Of course you had to pay for his autograph to do so. "Yeah no shit" I thought.
Anyway, he was behind a wall in the casino that I just casually walked behind, and there he was. Sitting at a table, all alone.
I said, "Yo Charlie Hustle! What's good man? I have nothing for you to sign, I just wanted to say hello."
Shockingly, he could NOT have been any nicer. He was great. I mentioned I was at Shea Stadium the night he tied the NL record for most consecutive games with a hit and we had a great discussion about that streak. We chatted for a good fifteen minutes.
If I had to describe him in one word that day, I'd say "pleasant." I expected the exact opposite.
I know he treated most people like shit, but he was fantastic to me that day and that memory lingers.
This is a great thing to hear. I haven't heard a lot of Pete Rose stories like this one, which makes me particularly happy to hear this one.
I genuinely wish this was the retort I had to the people in my group chats who all offered some variation of “Hit King! Nothing else matters!” I honestly wanted to get into all of it, but it’s all so, so tiring, man (and reminds me entirely too much of the other guy we’re all thinking about). This absolutely should be the last word on him, so thank you for making it the best way to close the story out.
Love that you pulled that Expos-Cardinals box score. So great.
We actually got to go on the field that day and took a bunch of pictures ... and none of them came out.
Or rather "piercing through" our overloads. Why you'er the writer.
Once again, you wrote a wonderful sports piece that you don't have to care a smidge about sports to enjoy. I'm so glad that there are writers like you expanding our information overloads.
The goal is always to write about sports for people who don't care about sports. That to me is the FUN part of writing about sports!
Well said and go Dodgers!
Bad Monkey rules.
Looking forward to the G & L review of Joker 2. Hearing wildly differing opinions already.
I *love* the book. (Of Bad Monkey, not a theoretical Joker 2 novelization.)
Yeah well snark at Pete make it a racial thing- be a virtue posturing soy boy- the truth is that Pete was a great pure hitter for a long time and that no one ever had a more burning desire to win
That's Mr. Soy Boy to you, man.
Pete Rose has always been a part of my baseball memories from my childhood to adulthood. From the time he was a part of the "Big Red Machine" with Reds in the '70s to the Phillies in the '80s, and eventually back to the Reds as a player/manager.
The one time I actually saw Rose play in person was in 1983 at Busch Stadium when he was with the Phillies and led off the game against Cardinal lefty Dave LaPoint. LaPoint struck him out and Rose gave him a look like, kid that's the last time. And it was. As I remember Rose had a great game at the plate that day.
Players in those days had one thing they were required to avoid, gambling on baseball. That's all. They could drink, chase women, pop pills, and abuse their wives and children. The only thing they weren't allowed to do was bet on baseball. Rose couldn't abide by that one rule. As Will so well pointed out in this piece, he lied when got caught, lied again, and kept lying until it reached a point of no return for MLB. A great player, but he was his own worst enemy.
Yeah, this is a key thing: He *was* fun to watch play. Of course he was!