Despite on-field heroics, Rose remains controversial figure WH
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1973
1960
Drafted by
Cmtinnab Reds
ROSE from page 1
and broke 12 Major League and seven National League
records. He holds the major league-record for most hits
(4,256) and games played. He also won the 1973 MVP
award as well as the Rookie-of-the Year award in 1963.
A two-time gold glove winner and 17-time All-Star,
Rose led the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati to back-to
back World Series titles in 1975-76 and then won a title with
the Phillies in 1980.
There’s no argument against his numbers. Along with
his reputation, they make him a ball player deserving of
Hall of Fame consideration on the first ballot.
However, before a player can even be considered for the
Hall, he must be eligible. Rose isn’t and many people feel he
shouldn’t be inducted even if he gets reinstated by Major
League baseball.
Michael Sokolove, a journalist who wrote “Hustle: The
Truth, Life and Lies of Pete Rose” thinks Rose meets only
one of die Hall of Fame criteria.
“Rose entered adulthood with one admirable
value, his estimable work ethic toward his
job: baseball,” Sokolove said. “He i
gave his employer and fans 1990
their monev’s worth Arrested for.
Other tha
Pete
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Rose was utterly without values. He was not a loyal friend,
a faithful husband, a loving father or a giving person.”
Baseball historian and UNL professor Benjamin Rader
also said he doesn’t think Rose should be reinstated any
time soon.
“They have to deal with “Shoeless” Joe Jackson before
Rose,” said Rader, who wrote a book in 1991 entitled
“Baseball - A History of America’s Game.”
“I don’t think they should be in ary hurry.”
Jackson was part of infamous 1919 Chicago Black Sox,
members of which were paid off to lose the World Series
that season. Jackson always maintained his innocence.
Current Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig doesn’t see
any point in bringing back Rose, either.
Selig, who is the former general manager of the
Milwaukee Brewers, has repeatedly said he will not rein
state Rose as long as he is commissioner. But Rader doubts
if Selig would have suspended him for life if he had to dish
out the original punishment.
7-23-99 “(Bart) Giamatti took much more
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Applies to be
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MattHaney/DN
action than many other commissioners might have,” said
Rader of the former commissioner, who died in office and
was replaced by Faye Vincent “He was hard-nosed and old
fashioned in his beliefs.”
While Rose has his fair share of detractors he also has
many people going to bat for him.
At the Hall of Fame induction ceremony July 25, Selig
was greeted with a chorus of boos and heard chants of
“Where’s Pete Rose?” and “How about Charlie Hustle?”
Several exhibits in the baseball museum at the Hall of
Fame already include Rose, as he was part of teams that
won world titles. But many people want Rose in the exclu
sive section with the other baseball greats.
Included is former Phillies teammate Mike Schmidt,
who wore a No. 14 lapel to honor Rose at his Cooperstown
induction July 30,1995.
‘Rose was my grandmother’s favorite player,” Schmidt
said. “I join her and the millions ofbaseball fans in hoping
someday soon, someday very soon, Pete Rose will be stand
ing right here. And there is no one more deserving to have
his plaque hanging in die Hall. I’ll promote it. I’m a Pete
Rose ambassador.”
Another Rose supporter is Allen Lewis, a member of
Baseball’s Veteran Committee since 1979. After a
plays* is no longer eligible for regular Hall-of-Fame
voting, his name is turned over to the Veteran
Committee, which can put the player the Hall of
Fame. It has been responsible for the induction of
Nebraska native Richie Ashbum, and, most
recently, Orlando Cepeda.
“Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame as much
as anyone who has ever played the game,”
j Lewis said. “Peters made mistakes, but so have
j many guys who are in the Hall. Pete’s been a
I great ambassador for the game. I think his time
will come.”
Fit’s been 10 years, but Jeff “Whitey”
Richardson still remembers Pete Rose’s last days
as a baseball manager before being banned from
baseball for life.
Richardson, a Grand Island native, was a rookie
for the Cincinnati Reds in 1989 when Rose was the
manager. He said fen- several weeks prior to Rose'S ban
ishment Aug. 23,1989, reporters swarmed Reds players,
trying to get the inside scoopon Rose Is situation.
Then one day it all ended.
“We were on a road trip to Chicago and had a day off,”
said Richardson, who is now the Head Baseball Coach at
Louisiana Tech, but lives in Grand Island during the offsea
son. “Rose didn’t come bade with the team. Two days later
he wasn’t there. We never saw him again.
“He didn’t have a chance to say goodbye. Pete told
Tommy Helms (interim manag
er) to tell the team to continue to
play hard and that he would be
following us.”
Rose had gone
to New York to
meet with
Baseball
Commissioner A.
Bartlett Giamatti
and after the meet
ing, Rose was
banned from all
major league base
ball dugouts, stadi
ums and press boxes for
life for gambling on a football
game. One week later,
Giamatti died of a heart
attack.
At me time, Kicnarason said,
he thought Rose would be out of
baseball for a couple years and then
be reinstated.
The 10-year anniversary is in 11 days.
The ironic thing about Rose being suspend
ed from baseball is that he may have been the
best representative of the how the game is
supposed to be played on the field.
To players, Rose’s work ethic was
not only respected, but inspiring.
The respect and admiration did
n’t vanish when he changed titles from player to manager,
Richardson said, even-with the veteran players such as Ken
Griffey Sr., Davey Collins and Ron Oyster.
“When Rose would walk into the club house, it
always got quiet,” Richardson said. “I played with a lot of
great players, and he was the only player who drew that
kind of respect. It was like, ‘wow.’”
Richardson had a special relationship with
Rose. Being the only rookie position player,
Richardson said Rose took him under his wing
and helped Richardson adjust to big league
pitchers. He would talk to Richardson
r—
Please see ROSE
MattHaney/DN