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Pete Rose

, Baseball Player
Pete Rose
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  • Born: 14 April 1941
  • Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Best Known As: Baseball great banned for life for gambling

Pete Rose is one of the greatest professional baseball players in the history of the game -- and also one of the most controversial. Rose began playing professionally for the Cincinnati Reds in 1963, where he quickly earned the nickname "Charlie Hustle" for his work ethic and boundless enthusiasm. During his 24-year career he had many high points, including a career batting average of .303, a record-setting 4,256 hits, a 44 game hitting streak (1978) and three appearances in the World Series (twice with Cincinnati, 1975 and 1976, and once with the Philadelphia Phillies, 1980). Rose was all but guaranteed a spot in the Hall of Fame until 1989, when he was accused of betting on baseball. Although Rose denied it, the charges were proved and he was banned from baseball for life. He finally admitted that he had bet on baseball in his 2004 book, My Prison Without Bars.

In 1963 Rose was named the National League's Rookie of the Year...In 1975 he was named World Series Most Valuable Player...Rose is most closely associated with Cincinnati, but he also played for Philadelphia (1978-83) and the Montreal Expos (1984)...During his career Rose played five positions: second base, right field, left field, third base and first base...It was Yankee pitcher Whitey Ford who gave Rose his "Charlie Hustle" nickname... Rose was manager of the Reds (1985-88) as well as a player.

 
 
Biography: Pete Rose

Pete Rose (born 1941), who got more hits than any player in professional baseball history, was banned from any further association with the game for allegedly betting on baseball games while he was a player and manager. Rose was suspended for life by baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989 and thus denied certain election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Named to the game's All-Century Team in 1999, Rose continued to plead for his reinstatement, gaining the support of many fans, players, and baseball officials.

Anative of Cincinnati, Rose was a player of limited physical talents but unlimited heart. He scrapped and fought for his teams throughout a twenty-four-year career. His intensity on the field earned him the nickname "Charlie Hustle." Playing five different positions, Rose secured many major league records for longevity. Finally, in 1985, he surpassed Ty Cobb's all-time record for career hits, finishing with 4,256. But the gambling scandal and his lifetime ban overshadowed Rose's career. Long after his playing days, Rose remained a controversial figure, one of the game's greatest stars but also one of its most famous black sheep.

Charlie Hustle

Pete Rose was born and raised in Cincinnati, the town where he would become famous on the ball diamond. His father, Harry Rose, who once played semi-pro football, pushed his son into athletics at an early age. One day, the story goes, Harry went to the store to buy a pair of shoes for his daughter and came back with a pair of boxing gloves for Pete. From then on, sports dominated Pete's life.

After hustling his way through several sports in grade school and high school, Rose settled on baseball. Though he was not considered a top prospect, his hometown Cincinnati Reds signed him to a professional contract. Rose began his pro career in 1960 with the Geneva Red Legs of the New York-Penn League and spent several years laboring in the minors, cementing his reputation for energetic play. He was about to turn 22 when he got the nickname "Charlie Hustle" during spring training of 1963. New York Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford bestowed it on him after he saw Rose running out a base on balls. His hustle helped him make the Reds that year, and Rose immediately became the regular second baseman. He was named Rookie of the Year.

Right away, Rose was a solid contributor. In 1965, Rose batted .312 and led the league in hits with 209. It was the first of 15 seasons in which he would hit at least .300, the first of 10 seasons with 200 or more hits (a major league record) and the first of five years leading the league in hits. In 1968, he won the first of his three batting championships, hitting for a .335 batting average, and the following year he recorded a career-high .348 average.

Rose became the sparkplug of a young team that was developing many stars. In 1967, after four years at second base, Rose was switched to the outfield to make room for future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. Never a spectacular fielder, Rose nonetheless was recognized with two Gold Gloves for fielding excellence as an outfielder, in 1969 and 1970. Rose spent eight seasons playing left field or right field before moving to third base in 1975.

In the first seven years of the 1970s, Cincinnati was the most successful team in the National League. Five times, the Reds won their division and four times-in 1970, 1972, 1975 and 1976-they made it to the World Series. Known as the "Big Red Machine," the Reds were led by such future Hall of Famers as Joe Morgan, catcher Johnny Bench, and first baseman Tony Perez. Rose was the backbone of the team and its spirited leader. He became known for his head first slides and for running out every single ball he hit. Though he had only average speed, he stole 198 bases in his career.

In 1972, Rose helped the Reds win Game Five of the World Series over the Oakland As, opening the game with a home run and driving in the winning run in the ninth inning with a single. Nevertheless, the Reds lost the series, as they had in 1970. In 1975, Rose was named the World Series Most Valuable Player for batting .370 and leading the Reds to a memorable victory over Boston in the seven-game series, considered by many to be the greatest of the modern era. In 1976, the Reds swept the Yankees in four games, but Rose batted only .188.

Hit King

When the wheels fell off the Big Red Machine, Cincinnati no longer could afford to keep Rose. After the 1978 season, during which Rose established a modern National League record with a 44-game hitting streak, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, getting a four-year, $3.2 million contract that at the time was the biggest in baseball history. Again, he became a leader on a successful team. The Phillies made the playoffs in 1980, 1981 and 1983. They won the World Series in 1980 and lost it in 1983. On the Phillies, the aging Rose played for the most part at first base. He led the league in doubles at age 39 and in hits at age 40, when he batted .321 during the strike-shortened 1981 season.

With his glory days behind him, Rose focused on the goal of overtaking the legendary Cobb and his all-time hits record, which many experts had considered unbreakable. After a 1983 season in which he batted only .245, Rose did not seem likely to make it. Ten hits short of becoming the second man in baseball history with 4,000 hits, Rose was let go by Philadelphia. He was picked up by the Montreal Expos and surpassed the 4,000-hit mark. Later in that 1984 season, he returned to Cincinnati in a trade for fringe player Tom Lawless, and was named manager of the team.

Now the way was clear for Rose to pursue his quest of Cobb. As manager, he could put himself in the lineup whenever he liked, and he was not about to quit until he reached his goal. "I'd go through hell in a gasoline suit to keep playing baseball," Rose said at the time. At the start of the 1985 season, he was turning 44 years old and was still 94 hits behind Cobb's record of 4,191. Finally, on September 11, he surpassed the record. Rose played one more season, batting only .219, before hanging up his spikes at age 45. He remained as manager of the Reds through the 1989 season, and though his teams never won a pennant, they won 414 games against 373 losses.

Although Rose was the all-time hit king of major league baseball, he had plenty of critics among baseball experts. Few considered him to be in the same class as Cobb as a hitter. For his career, Cobb batted .369, Rose .303. Rose had more than 2,600 at-bats than Cobb. Rose's endurance was an impressive testament to his determination. Rose's 14,053 career at-bats and 3,562 games were both all-time records, and he placed second on the all-time list in doubles, with 746, and fourth in runs, with 2,165. No one else ever played at least 100 games or got at least 100 hits during 23 different seasons. Yet Rose won only three batting championships and hit only 160 career home runs. His slugging percentage of .409 and on-base percentage of .373-considered by modern baseball experts to be the best measures of batting prowess-were not impressive.

Despite these shortcomings, Rose was virtually certain to be voted into the Hall of Fame. Rose epitomized the hard-nosed player who made the most out of his talents through tremendous desire. As "Charlie Hustle," he was an American icon, a hero to the people of Cincinnati and to many Americans. And though Rose often seemed egotistical, speaking his mind and irritating reporters and baseball officials, his personality was irrelevant to his on-field accomplishments.

Charlie Hustler

The knocks against Rose paled in significance to the storm that was brewing about his association with gamblers. Starting in 1984, Rose had begun hanging out with a group of men he had met at a Cincinnati gym. Through them he met bookmakers. He allegedly developed a betting habit that reached the vicinity of $15,000 a day. To pay gambling debts he even gave bookies one of his World Series rings and the bat he used to break Cobb's record.

In 1989, after a lengthy investigation, Giamatti, the baseball commissioner, concluded that Rose had bet on baseball games, including some involving Cincinnati, his own team. Two of his friends from the gym-who had both been convicted of felony drug charges-claimed Rose had gambled on baseball. According to baseball rules, Rose had to be banished. After waging a legal fight, Rose signed an agreement in which he accepted his suspension but did not admit to gambling on baseball games. He admitted he was a compulsive gambler but said he was guilty only of having a poor selection of friends.

Things got worse for Rose in 1990, when he served five months in prison for tax evasion. After getting out of jail, he became a fixture on the autograph circuit, hawking memorabilia, earning more money, and trying to polish his tarnished image.

According to the rules of Major League baseball, Rose can petition for reinstatement. No one banned from the sport has ever been let back in, but if he succeeded, Rose would be eligible for the Hall of Fame. Rose's campaign for reinstatement became as single-minded and determined as his quest for Cobb's record. Among his supporters was former President Jimmy Carter, who said that "evidence about [Rose] specifically betting on baseball is less than compelling." Many players and managers also rallied to his cause. Philadelphia teammate Mike Schmidt, speaking during his own Hall of Fame induction, said: "I hope some day, some day soon, Pete Rose will be standing right here."

Rose was married twice and has a son and a daughter from each marriage. His son from his first marriage, Pete Rose, Jr., enjoyed a mediocre career in professional baseball, mostly in the minor leagues. Rose Sr. relocated to Boca Raton, Florida, where he entered the restaurant business and hosted a radio talk show. "I've paid for what I did, and that still doesn't seem to be good enough," he told an interviewer in 1999.

In 1999, Major League baseball selected its All-Century team, and fans voted Rose a spot among the elite. Despite the ban, Rose was allowed to stand on a podium at the All-Star Game in Atlanta alongside the other living members of the team. Of all the game's great stars who were introduced that evening, Rose received the loudest ovation from the fans. In a nationally televised interview after the ceremony, Rose refused to apologize and continued to deny he had bet on baseball.

In the summer of 2000, teammate Perez and Sparky Anderson, who managed the Big Red Machine in the 1970s, were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. On the day of their induction, Rose sat at a table outside a souvenir shop in the town, signing autographs and telling a reporter: "Fans realize I made mistakes. They know I've paid for my mistakes. They're willing to turn the page."

Books

Reston, James, Jr., Collision at Home Plate: The Lives of Pete Rose and Bart Giamatti, University of Nebraska, 1997.

Periodicals

Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, March 23, 1994; November 2, 1995; January 12, 1999; July 22, 2000.

Sport, March, 2000.

Online

"Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Pete Rose," The Baseball Archive,http://baseball1.com/bb-data/rose/

"The Pete Rose Hall of Fame Controversy," Cosmic Baseball Association,http://www.clark.net/pub/cosmic/prhof.html

"Pete Rose," Total Baseball,http://www.totalbaseball.com/player/r/rosep001/rosep001.html

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Peter Edward Rose

(born April 14, 1941, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.) U.S. baseball player. Rose began playing organized baseball at age eight. He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1963 – 78, 1984 – 86), the Philadelphia Phillies (1979 – 83), and the Montreal Expos (1984). His 4,256 career hits and 3,562 games played both remain all-time records, and his career mark for runs (2,165) is exceeded only by Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Hank Aaron. In 1989, after being investigated for allegedly betting on baseball games, including those of his own Reds, Rose was banned from the sport for life by the commissioner of baseball.

For more information on Peter Edward Rose, visit Britannica.com.

 
Architecture and Landscaping: Peter Rose

(1943– )

Canadian architect, a pupil of Charles Moore. He evoked the Shingle style in many of the houses he designed in and around Québec, notably the Bradley House, North Hatley (1977–9). His Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montréal (1984–9—with Phyllis Lambert (1927– ) as patron and consultant architect), has enjoyed international acclaim: it is a large museum and study-centre, rigorously ordered and finely detailed, owing much to Rose's knowledge of Classicism in its composition and to Lambert's understanding of detail. Other works include Brookside School, Cranbrook Educational Community, Bloomfield Hills, MI (1991), and the Lower Canada College, Montréal (1992). He has made many contributions to the debates concerning the nature of architecture.

Bibliography

  • Kalman (1994)
  • Jencks (1977)
  • Kalman (1994)
  • Stern (1988)

The full bibliography for this book is available to download as a pdf file.
Download the bibliography for A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (PDF: 1.2MB)

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Rose, Pete
(Peter Edward Rose), 1941–, American baseball player, b. Cincinnati. The National League Rookie of the Year in 1963 and Most Valuable Player in 1973, Rose was a switch hitter who played outfield and infield positions; his career was spent with the Cincinnati Reds (1963–78, 1984–86), the Philadelphia Phillies (1979–83), and the Montreal Expos (1984). Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle,” Rose won three National League batting titles (1968, 1969, 1973) and set the major-league record for hits (4,256), surpassing Ty Cobb's mark. He also set the major league record for games played (3,562) and hit safely in 44 consecutive games in 1978, setting a modern National League record. Rose was manager of the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 until 1989, when he was banned for life from baseball for betting activities after an investigation by Major League Baseball. In 1990 he spent five months in jail for tax evasion. Since then Rose has campaigned to regain his eligibility for the Hall of Fame, publicly admitting in 2004 that he bet on baseball and apologizing for it.

Bibliography

See his autobiographies (1989 and 2004).

 
Quotes By: Pete Rose

Quotes:

"Never bet on baseball."

"See the ball; hit the ball."

"My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more."

 
Wikipedia: Pete Rose


Pete Rose
Pete Rose
OF / 3B / 2B / 1B
Born: April 14 1941 (1941--) (age 66)
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 8, 1963
for the Cincinnati Reds
Final game
August 17, 1986
for the Cincinnati Reds
Career statistics
Hits     4256
AVG     .303
HR     160
Teams

As Player

As Manager
Career highlights and awards

Peter Edward "Pete" Rose, Sr. (born April 14, 1941, in Cincinnati, Ohio), nicknamed Charlie Hustle, is a former player and manager in Major League Baseball. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, best known for his many years with the Cincinnati Reds. Rose, a switch hitter, is the all-time major-league leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at bats (14,053), and outs (10,328). He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year Award, and made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B, and 1B). Rose's nickname, Charlie Hustle, was given to him for his play beyond the "call of duty" while on the field. Even when being walked, Rose would run to first base, instead of the traditional walk to base. Rose was also known for sliding headfirst into a base, his signature move.

In August 1989, three years after he retired as an active player, Rose agreed to permanent ineligibility from baseball amidst accusations that he gambled on baseball games while playing for and managing the Reds; some accusations claimed that he bet on, and even against, the Reds. After years of public denial, in 2004 he admitted to betting on, but not against, the Reds. After Rose's ban was instated, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban those on the "permanently ineligible" list from induction. Previously, those who were banned (most notably, Shoeless Joe Jackson) had been excluded by informal agreement among voters. The issue of his possible re-instatement and election to the Hall of Fame remains a contentious one throughout baseball.

Background

Rose grew up in the working-class area of Western Hills in western Cincinnati[1] as one of four children to Harry and LaVerne Rose, and was encouraged as a young boy to participate in sports. His father, who played semi-professional football, was the biggest influence on Rose and his sports career. He played both baseball and football at Western Hills High School. Rose paid so little attention to his studies in ninth grade that his teacher decreed he would have to attend summer school or be held back. His father kept Rose out of summer school: it was better for his son to repeat a year of school, Harry Rose said, than miss a season playing ball. Barred from his high school team because of his poor performance in class, he got onto a Dayton amateur club instead and batted .500 against grown men. By the time Rose had graduated in 1960, he had impressed the Reds enough for them to offer him a $7,000 contract, with $500 more if he made it all the way to the major leagues and managed to stay there for a full year.

Pete Rose was a member of the Order of DeMolay as a young man and is a member of their Hall of Fame.

Military service

Rose entered the Ohio National Guard after the 1963 baseball season. He was assigned to Fort Knox for six months of active duty, which was followed by three years of regular attendance with a Reserve Unit at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. At Fort Knox, he was a platoon guide and graduated from basic training January 18, 1964, one week before his marriage to Karolyn. Rose then remained at Fort Knox to assist the sergeant in training the next platoon and to help another sergeant train the Fort's baseball team. Rose received some special treatment during basic training, including not receiving a shaved head and palling around with the colonel. Later in his Fort Thomas service, Rose served as company cook.

Family

Pete Rose married Karolyn Englehardt in 1964 and the couple had two children, daughter Fawn (born in 1968) and son Pete Rose Jr. (born in 1969). The couple divorced in 1980. Rose married his second wife, Carol J. Wollung, in 1984. They have two children, son Tyler (born in 1985) and daughter Kara (born in 1989).

Two of Rose's children have lived public lives. Cara has worked as a television actress, appearing as a regular in the first season of the soap opera Passions and playing a recurring role on Melrose Place. She uses the stage name "Chea Courtney."[2]

His oldest son, Pete Rose Jr., spent 16 years as a minor league baseball player, advancing to the majors once for an 11-game stint with the Cincinnati Reds in 1997. In his first major league at-bat, Pete Jr. paid tribute to his father by imitating Pete Sr.'s famous batting stance.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Rose was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent on July 8, 1960, and was assigned to the Geneva Redlegs of the New York-Penn League. In 1961 Rose was promoted to the Class D Tampa Tarpons of the Florida State League, where he batted .331, set a league record for triples, but led the league in errors.

Rose's next move was Macon, Georgia, where he hit .330, leading the league in triples and runs scored. During a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox in 1963, the Reds' regular second baseman, Don Blasingame, pulled a groin muscle. Rose got his chance and made the most of it. During another spring training game against the New York Yankees, Whitey Ford gave him the derisive nickname "Charlie Hustle" after witnessing Rose sprint to first base after drawing a walk. Despite (or perhaps because of) the manner in which Ford intended it, Rose adopted that nickname as a badge of honor. In Ken Burns' documentary Baseball, Mickey Mantle claimed that Ford gave him the nickname after Rose, playing in left field, made an effort to climb the fence to try to catch a Mantle home run that everyone could see was headed over everything.

Major Leagues

Early years

Rose walks onto the field with the Cincinnati Reds
Enlarge
Rose walks onto the field with the Cincinnati Reds

Rose made his Major League debut on opening day, April 8, 1963, against the Pittsburgh Pirates and drew a walk. On April 13, Rose – who was 0-for-11 at the time – got his first Major League hit, a triple off Pittsburgh's Bob Friend. He hit .273 for the year and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, collecting 17 of 20 votes.

On April 23, 1964, in the top of the ninth inning of a scoreless game in Colt Stadium, Rose reached first base on an error and scored on another error to make Houston Colt .45s rookie Ken Johnson the first pitcher to lose a complete game no-hitter. Rose slumped late in the season, was benched, and finished with just a .269 average.

Rose came back in 1965 to lead the league in hits (209) and at-bats (670), and hit .302, the first of his 10 seasons with 200-plus hits and the first of 15 consecutive .300 seasons. He hit a career-high 16 home runs in 1966, then switched positions from second base to right field the following year. In 1968, Rose started the season with a 22-game hit streak, missed three weeks (including the All-Star Game) with a broken thumb, then had a 19-game hit streak late in the season. He had to finish the season 6-for-9 to beat out Matty Alou and win the first of two close NL batting-title races.

Rose had his best offensive season in 1969, leading the league in batting for the second straight season (.348) and leading the league in runs with 120. As the team's leadoff man he was a catalyst, rapping 218 hits and walking 88 times. He hit 33 doubles, 11 triples, and a career-best 16 homers. He drove in 82 runs, slugged .512 (by far the highest mark of his long career), and had a .432 OBP (also a career best). But the Reds finished four games out of first, and Rose lost the MVP to Willie McCovey. Rose and Roberto Clemente were tied for the batting title going into the final game; Rose bunted for a base hit in his last at-bat of the season to beat out Clemente.

1970 All-Star game

On July 14, 1970, in brand new Riverfront Stadium (opened just two weeks earlier), Rose was involved in one of the most famous plays in All-Star history. Leading off against California's Clyde Wright in the 12th inning, Rose singled and went to second on a single by the Dodgers' Billy Grabarkewitz. The Cubs’ Jim Hickman then singled sharply to center. Amos Otis' throw beat Rose to the plate, but Rose barreled over Indians catcher Ray Fosse to score the winning run. It has been written that Fosse suffered a separated shoulder in the collision, but that it went undiagnosed. Fosse continued to hit for average (he finished the season at .307), but with diminished power — he had 16 homers before the break but two after. He played through the 1979 season, but never approached his first-year numbers.[3] The collision also caused Rose to go on the disabled list for two days for the first and only time on a DL in his career. Fosse did not miss any games immediately after the incident.

1973 National League Championship Series

Pete Rose at bat during the Big Red Machine years
Enlarge
Pete Rose at bat during the Big Red Machine years

In 1973 Rose won his third and final batting title with a .338 average, collected a career-high 230 hits and was named the NL MVP. The Reds ended up losing the National League Championship Series to the Mets despite Rose’s eighth-inning home run to tie Game One and his 12th-inning home run to win Game Four. During Game Three of the series, Rose got into a fight with the popular Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson while trying to break up a double play; the fight resulted in a bench-clearing brawl. The game was nearly called off when, after the Reds took the field, fans threw objects from the stands at Rose, causing the Reds team to leave the field until order was restored.

44-game hitting streak

On May 5, 1978, Rose became the 13th and youngest player in major league history to collect his 3,000th career hit, with a single off Expos pitcher Steve Rogers. On June 14 in Cincinnati, Rose singled in the first inning off Cubs pitcher Dave Roberts; Rose would proceed to get a hit in every game he played until August 1, making a run at Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game hitting streak, which had stood virtually unchallenged for 37 years. The streak started quietly, but by the time it had reached 30 games, the media took notice and a pool of reporters accompanied Rose and the Reds to every game. On July 19 against the Phillies, Rose was hitless going into the ninth with his team trailing. He ended up walking and the streak appeared over. But the Reds managed to bat through their entire lineup, giving Rose another chance. Facing Ron Reed, Rose laid down a perfect bunt single to extend the streak to 32 games. He would eventually tie Willie Keeler's National League record at 44 games; but on Tuesday night, August 1, the streak came to an end as Gene Garber of the Braves struck out Rose in the ninth inning. The competitive Rose was sour after the game, blasting Garber and the Braves for treating the situation "like it was the ninth inning of the 7th game of the World Series" and adding that "Phil Niekro would have given me a fastball to hit."[4]

Rose goes to the Phillies

On a team with many great players that is widely acknowledged by many as one of the greatest teams ever, Rose was viewed as one of the club's leaders (along with future Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Pérez). The influence that Rose's hustling team attitude had on his teammates was very likely a factor in the success of what was called "The Big Red Machine." His 1975 performance was considered outstanding enough that he earned the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year and Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. The following year, Rose was a major force in helping the Reds repeat as World Series winners. The 1976 Reds swept the Phillies 3-0 in the National League Championship Series and the Yankees 4-0 in the World Series. The 1976 Reds remain the only team since the expansion of the playoffs in 1969 to go undefeated in the postseason.

In 1979 Rose became a free agent and signed a four-year, $3.2-million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, temporarily making him the highest-paid athlete in team sports. The Phillies were in the middle of the greatest era in the history of the franchise when Rose came on board. They had won the National League East three years running (1976-1978) two of which were won with 101 win seasons. Although they missed the postseason in his first year with the team, they earned three division titles (one in the first half of the strike shortened 1981 season), two World Series appearances and one World Series title (1980) in the following four years. (Ironically, Pete had the worst season of his career in 1983 when the Phillies played in their second World Series in four years.)

Expos, Reds, Retirement

After being benched in the 1983 World Series, Rose signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Expos in 1984. On April 13, batting right-handed, Rose doubled off of the Phillies’ Jerry Koosman for his 4,000th career hit, joining Ty Cobb to become only the second player to enter the 4000 hit club. The hit came 21 years to the day after Rose's first career hit. Rose was traded to the Reds for infielder Tom Lawless on August 15 and was immediately named player-manager, replacing Reds' manager Vern Rapp. Major League Baseball has not had another player-manager since Rose.

On September 11, 1985, Rose was thought to have broken Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record with his 4,192nd hit, a single to left-center field off San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show, though a subsequent review of Ty Cobb's hits revealed that two of his hits were counted twice. As a result, Pete Rose actually broke the all-time hits record against the Cubs' Reggie Patterson with a single in the first in the Reds 5-5 called game against Chicago on September 8. Because of his record-breaking hit, ABC's Wide World of Sports named Rose Athlete of the Year that year. Rose accumulated a total of 4,256 hits before his final career at-bat, a strikeout against San Diego’s Goose Gossage on August 17, 1986. On November 11, Rose was dropped from the Reds’ 40-man roster to make room for pitcher Pat Pacillo, and he unofficially retired as a player.

Post-playing career

Manager

Rose managed the Reds from August 15, 1984, to August 24, 1989, with a 426-388 record. During his four full seasons at the helm (1985-1988), the Reds posted four second-place finishes in the NL West division. His 426 managerial wins rank fifth in Reds history.

On April 30, 1988 during a home game against the New York Mets, Rose shoved umpire Dave Pallone while arguing a disputed call at first base in the 9th inning. Rose claimed that Pallone had scratched him in the face during the argument, which provoked the push. Regardless, National League president A. Bartlett Giamatti suspended Rose for 30 days, which was the longest suspension ever levied for an on-field incident involving a manager. The shove caused a near-riot at Riverfront Stadium, and fans showered the field with debris.

Ironically, the length of the suspension allowed Rose to undergo and fully recuperate from badly-needed knee surgery.

Rose was the manager when Tom Browning posted his perfect game at Riverfront Stadium on September 16, 1988, the first one pitched in the National League since Sandy Koufax pitched one in 1965. Coincidentally, it was against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Koufax's old team.

Permanent Ineligibility

Amid reports that he had bet on baseball, Rose was questioned in February 1989 by outgoing commissioner Peter Ueberroth and his replacement, Bart Giamatti. Rose denied the allegations and Ueberroth dropped the investigation. However, after Giamatti became Commissioner, three days later, lawyer John Dowd was retained to investigate these charges against Rose. A Sports Illustrated cover story published on March 21, 1989 gave the public their first detailed report of the allegations that Rose had placed bets on baseball games.

Dowd interviewed many of Rose's associates, including alleged bookies and bet runners. He delivered a summary of his findings to the Commissioner in May, a document which became known as the Dowd Report. In it, Dowd documented Rose's alleged gambling activities in 1985 and 1986 and compiled a day-by-day account of Rose's alleged betting on baseball games in 1987. The Dowd Report documented his alleged bets on 52 Reds games in 1987, where Rose wagered a minimum of $10,000 a day. Others involved in the allegations claim that number was actually $2,000 a day.

According to the Dowd Report itself, "no evidence was discovered that Rose bet against the Reds."[5] This is in contrast to the case of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and his teammates in the Black Sox Scandal, who were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series.

Rose continued to deny all of the accusations against him and refused to appear at a hearing with Giamatti on the matter. He filed a lawsuit alleging that the Commissioner had prejudged the case and could not provide a fair hearing. A Cincinnati judge issued a temporary restraining order to delay the hearing, but Giamatti fought to have the case moved to Federal Court. The Commissioner prevailed in that effort, after which he and Rose entered settlement negotiations.

On August 24, 1989, Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent place on baseball’s ineligible list. [6] Rose accepted that there was a factual reason for the ban; in return, Major League Baseball agreed to make no formal finding with regard to the gambling allegations. According to baseball's rules, Rose could reapply for reinstatement. Rose, with a 412-373 record, was replaced as Reds manager by Tommy Helms. Rose began therapy with a psychiatrist for treatment of a gambling addiction.

Rose's ban has prevented the Reds from formally retiring his #14 jersey. However, aside from his son Pete Jr.'s brief stint with the team in 1997, the Reds have not issued that number since Rose's ban. Even though the number has not been retired, it is highly unlikely that any Red will ever wear that number again. His uniform number 14 was retired by the Cincinnati Cyclones of the East Coast Hockey League.

Tax evasion

On April 22, 1990, Rose pleaded guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns not showing income he received from selling autographs, memorabilia, and from horse racing winnings. On July 20 Rose was sentenced to five months in the minimum security Prison Camp at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois and fined $50,000. He was released on January 7, 1991 after having paid $366,041 in back taxes and interest.

Hall of Fame Eligibility

On February 4, 1991, the Hall of Fame voted to formally exclude individuals on the permanently ineligible list from being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Rose is the only living member of the ineligible list. The Hall changed this later in the decade, and players on the ineligible list can be considered by the Veterans Committee in the first year after they would have lost their place on the Baseball Writers Association of America's ballot. Under the Hall's rules, players may appear on the ballot for only fifteen years, beginning five years after they retire. Had he not been banned from baseball, Rose's name could have been on the writers' ballot beginning in 1992 and ending in 2006.[7] He would have been eligible for consideration by the Veterans Committee in 2007, but did not appear on the ballot. [8]

Reinstatement Efforts

In September 1997 Rose applied for reinstatement. Bud Selig, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, never acted on that application. In public comments, Selig said he saw no reason to reconsider Rose's punishment. In March 2003, Selig acknowledged that he was considering Rose's application, leading to speculation that Rose's return might be imminent.[9] Ultimately, however, Selig took no action. Even supporters of Rose's reinstatement concede that it is not likely that reinstatement will occur under Selig's tenure as commissioner. He had previously applied for reinstatement in 1992, but then-commissioner Fay Vincent never acted on it.

In a December 2002 interview, investigator Dowd stated that he believed that Rose may have bet against the Reds while managing them.[10] However, his official report states "no evidence was discovered that Rose bet against the Cincinnati Reds."

The Jim Gray interview

Before Game 2 of the 1999 World Series, Rose received the loudest ovation during the introduction of the members of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. After the ceremony on live television, NBC's Jim Gray repeatedly asked Rose if he was ready to admit to betting on baseball and apologize: [11]


“ Jim Gray: Pete, now let me ask you. It seems as though there is an opening, the American public is very forgiving. Are you willing to show contrition, admit that you bet on baseball and make some sort of apology to that effect?

Pete Rose: Not at all, Jim. I'm not going to admit to something that didn't happen. I know you're getting tired of hearing me say that. But I appreciate the ovation. I appreciate the American fans voting me on the All-Century Team. I'm just a small part of a big deal tonight.

JG: With the overwhelming evidence in that report, why not make that step...

PR: No. This is too much of a festive night to worry about that because I don't know what evidence you're talking about. I mean, show it to me...

JG: Pete, those who will hear this tonight will say you have been your own worst enemy and continue to be. How do you respond to that?

PR: In what way are you talking about?

JG: By not acknowledging what seems to be overwhelming evidence.

PR: Yeah, I'm surprised you're bombarding me like this. I mean I'm doing an interview with you on a great night, a great occasion, a great ovation. Everybody seems to be in a good mood. And you're bringing up something that happened 10 years ago ... This is a prosecutor's brief, not an interview, and I'm very surprised at you.

JG: Some would be surprised that you didn't take the opportunity.

 ”

Many people were outraged over Gray's aggressive questioning, feeling that it detracted from the ceremony; in protest, New York Yankees outfielder Chad Curtis refused to speak with Gray after his game-winning home run in Game 3. Others felt that given the dichotomy of Rose's banishment from baseball but his inclusion on the All-Century Team, the questions were appropriate. Earlier that season, Rose had been ranked at number 25 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

Nevertheless, despite MLB's official ban on Rose, it was willing — perhaps cynically — to ask him to participate in commercial promotions like the All-Century Team that benefited MLB while refusing to allow him to participate in local events in Cincinnati such as the 25th anniversary reunion of the Big Red Machine, the closing of Cinergy Field, and the opening of the Great American Ballpark.

Coming clean

In his autobiography My Prison Without Bars, published by Rodale Press on January 8, 2004, Rose finally admitted publicly to betting on baseball games and other sports while playing for and managing the Reds. He also admitted to betting on Reds games, but said that he never bet against the Reds. He repeated his admissions in an interview on the ABC news program Primetime Thursday. He also said in the book that he hoped his admissions would help end his ban from baseball so that he could reapply for reinstatement. In March 2007 during an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show" on ESPN Radio Rose said, "I bet on my team every night. I didn't bet on my team four nights a week. I bet on my team to win every night because I love my team, I believe in my team," he said. "I did everything in my power every night to win that game."[12] The criticism of Rose did not diminish after this admission—even some Rose supporters were outraged that Rose would suddenly reverse fifteen years of denials as part of a book publicity tour. In addition, the timing was called into question—by making his admission just two days after the Baseball Hall of Fame announced its class of 2004 inductees, Rose appeared to be linking himself publicly to the Hall. Further adding to the debate was the 2004 ESPN made-for-TV movie Hustle, starring Tom Sizemore as Rose, which documents Rose's gambling problem and his subsequent ban from baseball.

If Rose hoped that by "coming clean" he might clear the path to his rehabilitation, he appears to have miscalculated badly. Talk of Rose's reinstatement or eligibility for the Hall of Fame has dropped off noticeably since the book's publication. The majority of living Hall of Famers themselves refuse to have anything to do with him joining them, with Bob Feller expressing especially harsh opposition. Since all living Hall of Famers are members of the Veterans Committee, this makes it highly unlikely that Rose will ever be admitted in the near future; as mentioned above, his name was not even on the Veterans Committee ballot for 2007. Supporters of Rose's reinstatement believe his chances would be much better had Rose not waited so long and/or been more repentant in regard to his betting on baseball games.

Pete Rose and the WWF

Between the years 1998 and 2000, Rose appeared at the World Wrestling Federation's annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event. At the 1998 event—WrestleMania XIV—he served as "guest ring announcer" during a match between Kane and the Undertaker, after which he took a Tombstone Piledriver from Kane.[13] For the next years WrestleMania XV Rose was portrayed as seeking revenge. To do so he dressed as the San Diego Chicken and "attacked" Kane before his scheduled match, only to take another Tombstone.[14] He was Chokeslammed by Kane at WrestleMania 2000 after he tried to sneak-attack him, leaving him prey for a Stink Face from Rikishi.[15]

In addition to these three appearances he appeared in a Halloween-themed commercial for the 2002 No Mercy event. In 2004, after the WWF changed its name to WWE, Rose was inducted into the "Celebrity Wing" of their Hall of Fame.[16] He was the first celebrity to go into the Hall, and was inducted at a ceremony prior to WrestleMania XX.[17]

Records and achievements

  • Major League records:
    • Most career hits - 4,256
    • Most career games played - 3,562
    • Most career at bats - 14,053
    • Most career singles - 3,315
    • Most career runs by a switch hitter - 2165
    • Most career doubles by a switch hitter - 746
    • Most career walks by a switch hitter - 1566
    • Most career total bases by a switch hitter - 5,752
    • Most seasons of 200 or more hits - 10
    • Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more hits - 23
    • Most consecutive seasons with 600 or more at bats - 13 (1968-1980)
    • Most seasons with 600 at bats - 17
    • Most seasons with 150 or more games played - 17
    • Most seasons with 100 or more games played - 23
    • Record for playing in the most winning games - 1,972
  • Only player in major league history to play more than 500 games at five different positions - 1B (939), LF (671), 3B (634), 2B (628), RF (595)
  • National League records:
    • Most years played - 24
    • Most consecutive years played - 24
    • Most career runs - 2,165
    • Most career doubles - 746
    • Most career games with 5 or more hits - 10
    • Modern (post-1900) record for longest consecutive game hitting streak - 44
    • Modern record for most consecutive hitting streaks of 20 or more games - 7
  • NL MVP Award (1973)
  • NL Rookie of the Year Award (1963)
  • 17 All-Star selections
  • Three World Series rings (1975, 1976, 1980)
  • World Series MVP Award (1975)
  • Two Gold Glove Awards (1969 and 1970, both as an outfielder)
  • Roberto Clemente Award (1976)
  • The Sporting News Player of the Year (1968)
  • The Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (1985)
  • The Sporting News Player of the Decade (1970s)
  • WWE Hall of Fame inductee (2004)

Cultural references

Rose is referred to in the Billy Joel song "Zanzibar", in the lyrics "Rose, he knows he's such a credit to the game/But the Yankees grab the headlines every time." In the live version on his 12 Gardens concert album, Joel changed the lyrics to "Rose, he knows he'll never make the Hall of Fame," a reference to his fall from grace since the song's original 1978 recording.

The last episode of Arrested Development, "Development Arrested", mentions Rose: "And although [George Michael had] only gotten to second base, he’d gone in head-first, like Pete Rose."[18]

In the Family Guy episode Sibling Rivalry, when Stewie goes to play in the park, he goes to play on the jungle gym only to be confronted by a little boy. He remarks, “Hey, where’d you get the Pete Rose hair cut?” He then knees the boy in the crotch.

In an episode of Married... With Children, Al tries to tell Peggy about Jefferson's checkered past. Not wanting to say it directly, he hints "What do Jefferson, Pete Rose and your cousin all have in common?", to which Peggy responds "They've all been to prison!"

See also

Wikinews has related news:

References

  1. ^ http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016443.html
  2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0183895
  3. ^ The Daily Star July 12, 2003
  4. ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_2_63/ai_112167128
  5. ^ http://www.dowdreport.com/exhibits.html
  6. ^ http://baseball1.com/bb-data/rose/agreement.html
  7. ^ http://www.tsn.ca/classic/news_story.asp?ID=144881&hubName=
  8. ^ http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/veterans/2007/index.htm
  9. ^ http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2003/0313/1523010.html
  10. ^ http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/1212/1475769.html
  11. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/scorecard/08/05/interviews/
  12. ^ http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/3/15/74426.shtml
  13. ^ WrestleMania XIV > Celebrities. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  14. ^ WrestleMania XV > Celebrities. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  15. ^ WrestleMania XVI > Celebrities. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  16. ^ WWE Hall of Fame Bio. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  17. ^ WrestleMania XX > Celebrities. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  18. ^ http://the-op.com/ref/ee2.php?ep=313&pg=1#l16

External links

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