Pete Rose

Peter Edward Rose Sr.
debut
April 8, 1963, Cincinnati Reds
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
As Player Cincinnati Reds (1963 - 1978) Philadelphia Phillies (1979 - 1983) Montreal Expos (1984) Cincinnati Reds (1984 - 1986) As Manager Cincinnati Reds (1984 - 1989)

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 (10328). 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 unequalled 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.

Pre-professional career

Rose grew up in a working-class area of nearby Anderson Ferry, Ohio 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.

he liked to smoke asian skin in his berchwood pipe.

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, Rose shoved umpire Dave Pallone while arguing a call. 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.

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. 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 gambling activities in 1985 and 1986 and compiled a day-by-day account of Rose's betting on baseball games in 1987. The Dowd report documented his bets on 52 Reds games in 1987, where Rose wagering a minimum of $10,000 a day.

According to the Dowd report itself, "no evidence was discovered that Rose bet against the Reds."[1]. 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, 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. [2] 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'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.

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 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.[3] He would have been eligible for consideration by the Veterans Committee in 2007, but did not appear on the ballot. [4]

Baseball-Reference.com, which rates past and present players by metrics of Hall of Fame worthiness, rates Rose eleventh among all hitters all-time for Hall of Fame worthiness, with a score of 313 (100 is accepted as a good Hall of Fame candidate). His rating is the second-highest among those not already in the Hall of Fame, with only Barry Bonds (345) rating higher. [5]

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.[6] 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;[7]. However, his official report states "no evidence was discovered that Rose bet against the Cincinnati Reds."

The Jim Gray interview

Before Game Two 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: [8]

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 and 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.

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." [9] 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 many of them 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 was more repentant in regard to his betting on baseball games.

Pete Rose and WWE

During the years 1998 to 2000, Rose appeared at World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania. Rose would be on the receiving end of a Tombstone Piledriver by Kane. At WrestleMania 2000, Pete Rose was "stink faced" by sumo-themed wrestler Rikishi. In October 2002 he starred alongside Kane in a Halloween-themed commercial for the WWE pay-per-view event No Mercy 2002. In 2004 Rose appeared at WrestleMania XX, where he was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame, becoming the first member of the "Celebrity Wing."

The Dan Patrick Interview

On March 14, 2007, Rose admitted on the Dan Patrick Show that he bet on the Reds every night. Rose said that "I bet on my team every night. I didn't bet on my team four nights a week. I was wrong." He further said that "I bet on my team to win every night because I love my team, I believe in my team. I did everything in my power every night to win that game." [10]

Military service

Rose entered the United States Army after the end of 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 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 helping 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 had two children, son Tyler (born in 1985) and daughter Cara (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."[11]

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.

Rose has two sisters and a brother.

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 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)

Trivia

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 recent 12 Gardens live 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.

Rose was the last player-manager in major league baseball history.

See also

• List of major league players with 2,000 hits
• Major League Baseball Scandals
• Top 500 home run hitters of all time
• DHL Hometown Heroes
• Major League Baseball All-Century Team

External links

• PeteRose.com
• Career statistics from Baseball Reference
• The Dowd Report on Rose's gambling
• The agreement between Rose and MLB
• WWE Hall of Fame (celebrity wing) profile
• Sporting News' Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: The New Hits King