As a man whose life has been the great American tradition and institution that is Baseball, this writer is beyond overjoyed that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and the League decided to reinstate the great game’s hit king Pete Rose, as well as others — making them eligible for entry in The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Now true baseball fans and their families, especially kids can learn the true legend and lessons of Pete Rose.
They can discover why he was known as “Charlie Hustle.”
They can see how hard he played the game; they can also see the pride he had in giving the game everything he had on the field.
Rose was a world champion, with the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Yes, as is the case with the rest of us, Rose had faults.
The biggest, and the most obvious, he bet on baseball, then made the mistake of denying it.
Since the turn of 20th century that was a major rule in the game.
Betting/wagering wasn’t allowed.
Think of it as one of Baseball’s Ten Commandments.
I was one of the last people to talk to Pete Rose before he died.
He was a broken man.
Understandably, he missed being an official part of baseball after his suspension.
He missed being a part of all the “What Ifs?,” had he not broken the game’s biggest rule.
He knew that his knowledge of the game probably would have helped the Reds win more world championships with him at the helm as their manager.
The one thing he said that hit this writer like a ton of bricks was that he hoped that the next generation of players and kids would learn from his experience as a great player but also from the mistakes that he made off the field, namely gambling.
The day I interviewed this king of the game, I walked away with tears rolling down.
How couldn’t I? How couldn’t anyone?
At that time, Pete Rose wasn’t speaking like the man that I first met in 1976, when the Reds beat the Yankees in four straight games.
Rose marveled at the greatness of Thurman Munson.
Rose seemingly wasn’t afraid of his own mortality, yet this writer knew he was.
Human life is a very short story however things like the game of Baseball and the Hall of Fame are forever.
For that I am very happy that Commissioner Manfred has had a change of heart on Rose.
Many still say negative things about the timing of this monumental decision, given the fact that Rose is now deceased.
In this crazy phase of our nation’s history, we should try to look at the positives of the decision to reinstate Pete Rose.
Our youth, as well as the next generation of players can truly learn from Charlie Hustle’s life. Perhaps many have.
For those who just want to only see the negative in Pete Rose’s story, just know that even in death he would still be proud knowing that millions will walk through Cooperstown, one day, and find out who he was, and like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb played for the love of the game, more than anything else.
Ray Negron is a sports executive with over 40 years of experience in baseball. His first job came from a chance encounter with George Steinbrenner as a youth. Mr. Negron is also an American film producer, a best-selling author, and philanthropist. His memoir is, “Yankee Miracles: Life with the Boss and the Bronx Bombers.” Read Ray Negron’s Reports — More Here.
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