Reds Beat: Remembering A Legend As Pete Rose Dies at 83

CINCINNATI — There was no one who embodied the spirit of Cincinnati baseball more than Peter Edward Rose.

There was no one who loved the city or its iconic baseball franchise more. There was no one who did more to promote the city or the game more than Rose.

And while he clearly had demons, failings and vices, the man who left us at the age of 83 Monday will – and should – always be remembered for how much he loved the game, the Reds and Cincinnati.

Pete Rose was much more than just a three-time batting champion, World Series MVP and baseball’s all-time hit leader. He was – to countless kids like me – the definition of hustle and working hard at your craft everyday so no one could ever doubt your desire to be the best you could be.

My first interaction with Pete came as a 9-year-old when I was with my dad coming out of a Reds night game in 1975. I remember to this day how struck I was by this big burly man in a brown pinstripe suit walking out from the stadium as I chased him down for an autograph. It’s an autograph I have to this day.

I was intimidated like a little kid would be by seeing this seemingly hulk of a man tower over me and grant a simple request like an autograph.

I remember my brother-in-law always tearing Pete down for the way he played the game. And I defended my hero because Pete was the embodiment of hustle and hard work. My brother-in-law thought it was ridiculous that he would crash into Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star Game instead of sliding. Pete played the game to win, I remember.

I would develop a friendly relationship with Fosse whenever I saw him travel with the A’s broadcast team in Boston. We’d greet each other. I would ask him about that fateful moment and he told me whether you like him or not, that’s the way Pete looked at the game of baseball – all out. When you understand that about Pete, you look at that play much differently. It wasn’t about regular season, playoffs, spring training or All-Star Game, it was about playing the game he loved at full speed all the time.

Those in Boston who knew me would often compliment my work ethic and tease me with “the hardest working man in showbiz” line because I covered many different sports. Every time I heard that line I thought of one man. Pete Rose. The run down to first base after a walk. The fight with Bud Harrelson in Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS at Shea Stadium. The head first slide into third base in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1975 World Series after Joe Morgan singled in Ken Griffey with the winning run. Catching the bobbled pop up by Bob Boone one out prior to the Phillies winning the 1980 World Series. Standing at first base and breaking down on the shoulder of Tommy Helms on Sept. 11, 1985 after passing Ty Cobb.

The lasting legacy of man should never be his weaknesses but what made him unique and great. That’s the way I will choose to remember the 1963 National League Rookie of the Year and the 1960 graduate of Western Hills High School.

Monday’s news was equally shocking and heartbreaking to those who knew him.

“I really don’t know what to say. I can’t believe he is gone,” hall of fame Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman said in a statement on Instagram. “My two best baseball friends gone. First Joe Morgan and now Pete. Right now, it’s hard for me to come to grips with it. Maybe down the road I will be more inclined, if any of you care then to talk about my good friend. I hope you all understand.”

Brennaman, another idol of mine, knew Rose the man, the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly sides. Still, those who knew him understood the complexities of a player banned from the sport he loved because he committed the one unforgivable sin of betting on baseball. It took nearly 20 years for him to admit to this but once he did, there was still no forgiveness shown from baseball writers for the Hall of Fame, where he clearly belongs as one of the sport’s most vocal supporters.

Brennaman, interviewed for the HBO documentary “Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose”, said it would be one of the biggest injustices if Rose didn’t receive enshrinement in Cooperstown before he died.

Now, sadly, that has come to pass.

“People say to me, ‘Don’t you think what happened to Pete is tragic?'” said another legendary broadcaster Al Michaels. “And I say, ‘No, tragic is a different story. The word I use for this is sad.’ It’s a shame. It really is. What he did (as a player) is just so phenomenal and unbelievable. This guy should be one of the most exalted athletes in history.”

Indeed, to those who knew him, he already is. Just watch Alex Rodriguez and Frank Thomas listen to Pete describe why he never changed his swing in the batters box in studio during the 2016 NLCS.

“Our hearts are deeply saddened by the news of Pete’s passing,” said Bob Castellini, Reds Principal Owner and Managing Partner. “He was one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen, and every team he played for was better because of him. Pete was a Red through and through. No one loved the game more than Pete and no one loved Pete more than Reds Country. We must never forget what he accomplished.”

Rose, a 17-time All-Star, is the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053) and singles (3,215). He won three World Series (1975 & 76 with the Reds, 1980 with the Phillies), three batting titles (1968, ’69 & ’73), one National League Most Valuable Player Award (1973), two Gold Glove Awards (1969, ’70), NL Rookie of the Year Award (1963) and 1975 World Series MVP. In 1999, Rose was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Rose was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2016 and his iconic No. 14 was retired the same year. His statue outside Great American Ball Park was dedicated in 2017.

For all of the accolades, Rose should be remembered for the impact he had on the people who knew him best and the sport he cherished.

Like many of those whose life he touched directly or indirectly, this is a difficult passing to process. For those who followed Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays or Jackie Robinson or Roberto Clemente, when a childhood icon passes, time stops. That’s how I feel right now.

RIP and thanks to the 1975 World Series MVP and a man who defined what it was to hustle all the time.