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RIP Pete Rose

Somewhere in one of the boxes in the attic is a paperback book from the 1970s that is a team yearbook for the Big Red Machine. I have no idea where it came from but it has survived in my family since the mid-1970s and I cherished that book even though the content of that book happened before I was born. 

But inside were photos of Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Davey Concepcion, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Ken Griffey, Don Gullett, Sparky Anderson and on and on and on, celebrating World Series titles. 

By the time my brain was developed enough to understand baseball and heroes, Pete Rose was setting the all-time hits record. The way my brain remembers it, the final Reds game my great-grandmother ever attended was during the Pete Rose hits chase in 1985. She had spent years as a member of the Rosie Reds fan group that traveled the country following the Reds. 

She loved Pete Rose. Didn’t miss a game until the day she died. 

It was hard to find a member of my family that didn’t love Pete Rose. 

He was our guy. He was Cincinnati and that bled up I-75 to Dayton where you’re either a Reds fan or you’re an outsider. 

He was one of those mythical heroes in that coffee table book that I would look through. He was the guy Little League dads would tell you to be like on the baseball fields in SW Ohio. 

Charlie Hustle. 

Hustle. Hustle. Hustle. 

One thing that has stood out this morning is the video of Pete breaking Cobb’s record and how perfect it all seems now all these years later. Marty Brennaman on the call. Joe Nuxhall sitting next to Marty. Marge Schott on the edge of her seat. Riverfront Stadium rocking. 

Pete hunched over. 

“He levels the bat a couple of times. [Eric] Show kicks and he fires. Rose swings…” Marty says as Nuxhall goes nuts.

“There it is, get down, ALRIGHT!” Joe yells. 

And then, Pete, at 44 and 23 years into his career, takes one of the most aggressive turns of first base in his career, and he’s looking to go two fully knowing he had just passed Cobb. 

I’m not sure there will ever be someone who loved baseball like Pete. Why didn’t he ease into first base when he passed Cobb? Because, as he said during interviews, he couldn’t stand the thought of his father seeing him not hustling while playing a game. 

That never left Pete. 

“How does someone who didn’t play every day strike out 213 times?”Pete told Bob Nightengale in 2021 while analyzing the Yankees and Joey Gallo. “Ray Charles wouldn’t strike out that much. I just can’t imagine striking out 213 times without killing myself.” 

At the end of the day, even with the major flaws of his life, the story of baseball cannot be written without Pete Rose and there’s no taking that away from him. 

Now I need to go back up in the attic and find that Big Red Machine book. 

– Beau in Toledo says: 

Do the right thing Joe…

Nothing but Pete Rose pics and stats for all of Red October

Dammit Charlie Hustle, Forever a Hall of Famer

Fight me

– Gary M. writes: 

Very sad day today for those of us a certain age. 

I am a little bit older than you but I have unbelievable memories of The Big Red Machine 

He was a blue collar , no class , all fight and hustle baseball player from the west side of Cincinnati.

– From John in SD: 

Pete Rose: RIP, being in my 50s, I’ve been a pro hall of fame for Pete Rose for decades. Did he do wrong, of course. Should he have come clean right away, of course. But you can’t take away his accomplishments, the numbers don’t lie. 

– Chris C. writes: 

As I shared before, born in the Dayton area and a lifelong Reds fan. As a kid, I was treated to the Big Red Machine and still have vivid memories of the World Series titles in the 70s plus relishing as an adult in the sweep over the A’s in 90. Johnny Bench was my favorite, but Pete was a close second.

After watching over the years MLB and it’s band of sports writers flex their HOF muscles in denying Pete the chance to take his rightful place among the greats, I now find myself hoping that they vote him in and his family rejects the offer. It would be Pete giving them the middle finger from the grave. Curious what you as a fellow Reds diehard and your readers think.

Kinsey: 

I have written before that I think Pete’s story is better that he never got in. Screw it. Being banned and a mythical hero was more his style anyway. It elevated Pete to a level of celebrity that many Hall of Famers never experience, and I think Pete needed that in his life. 

Like I said above, the story of baseball doesn’t exist without Pete Rose. That is powerful stuff and Pete Rose Jr. and the rest of the family should hopefully be comforted knowing that. 

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By the way, welcome to October. The Tigers play at 2:30 ET on ABC.

Have a great day. 

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com

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