Peter Edward Rose made his way to the little town of Oxford, Ohio on Monday. It was a day full of mingling with Miami University students, answering their questions at various events. Eventually, he met with University President David Hodge for dinner, and finally ended the night with a discussion on ethics in sports moderated by Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Dougherty. Oh, did I fail to mention that the speech was in Hall Auditorium? Of course, I did. The Hit King finally made it to the Hall, and he did so to a standing ovation.
I had a dream come true when I was allowed to speak with Rose at a press conference for student media.
Mr. Rob Manfred, I hope you’re listening; this is a story of why Major League Baseball needs Pete Rose more than Pete Rose needs Major League Baseball.
The day was filled with laughter and lessons, and of course gambling hung over every event. One of the greatest to play Major League Baseball, still not enshrined in Cooperstown with other legends because of a mistake.
But you know that story. You know how Rose has been locked out of baseball for over a third of his life. You know all of that, right?
And I’m sure when I said that the event was a discussion on ethics in sports you were confused; you probably even rolled your eyes.
But what you don’t know is that Rose understands that he did wrong. He regrets that decision every day. He owns up to it; he doesn’t run from it.
“I’m not going to sit here in Oxford, Ohio and whine about me being suspended,” Rose said. “Cause I’m the one who screwed up. Okay? I’m the one that screwed up; I’m the one paying the consequences.”
What about guys like Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, or Roger Clemens, who have been caught for performance enhancing drugs.
Rose responded by saying that each case was different. He doesn’t look at cases and compare them to his, admitting that he broke the rules once again.
“They’re probably in the same position that I’m in,” Rose said. “They wish they hadn’t made the mistake.”
Rose is very adamant that he knows he did wrong. He broke the rules that were set before him, and the consequence was a lifetime ban. He signed the paper that banned him for life.
Does he dwell on not being inducted? No. He just would like a second chance.
“I’m smart enough to know there is a hell of a lot more behind me than there is in front of me,” Rose said. “I’ve been working hard these past 26 years. I don’t bad mouth the game. I care about the game.”
“I gave two-thirds of my life to baseball, and the other third I’ve been suspended,” Rose said. “Think about that.”
He has come to terms with what he did. And that should be enough for baseball.
The question that still arises on many people’s minds’s, why did he lie?
“I guess I panicked,” Rose said. “I’m in my late 40’s; I’ve got an eight-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter and all of a sudden they tell you you’re going to lose your job.”
Rose continued on the subject.
“We didn’t have multi-millions in the bank like they do today,” Rose said. “So I had to do the thing that, (pause), unless you’re in that situation you don’t know what you’ll do. I’m worried about feeding my kids.”
Peter Edward Rose made a mistake. One that he has paid dearly for; he’s been out of baseball for a third of his life. It’s time for it to end.
“I’m not the same person today that I was 26 years ago,” Rose said. “I’ve worked real hard the last 26 years to try to get back in the good graces with the fans, with the game of baseball, and I’m slowly but surely getting there.”
And here’s the kicker. Baseball doesn’t need to end the ban just for Rose’s sake. Baseball needs to end the ban for itself.
“I believe today I’m the best ambassador that baseball has,” Rose said.
Rose lives in Las Vegas, and four days a week he can be found signing autographs for fans; talking baseball, telling stories, and giving memories of a lifetime to kids and adults.
Some people ask why Las Vegas? Why that city? Why the city of gambling?
It’s simple.
“Las Vegas is the only city in the world where my gig works,” Rose said. “Why does it work? Every three or four days thousands of people leave, thousands of people come in. They’ve got two things on their mind; they want to spend money, and they want to see celebrities.”
“I sit there first four and a half hours talking positive about the game of baseball,” Rose said.
Integrity isn’t the first word you think of when I say, Pete Rose. It’s likely gambling, cheater, scandal, or some word that encapsulates all three of the former.
But when I watch clips of Rose play or when my dad tells me about Rose, I don’t picture a lack of integrity.
Rose shows me that he had the most integrity.
No better moment displays Rose’s love for the game, and the fans, than the 1970 MLB All-Star Game.
Catcher Ray Fosse stood between Rose and a victory for his team, the National League, in the 12th inning.
It was just an exhibition game.
“Exhibition game? There were 56,000 people at that game, and they paid more money to see that game than they did for a regular season game at Riverfront Stadium,” Rose said. “I’m playing for league pride.”
And of course, he’s famous for the headfirst slide. Why headfirst?
“It get’s your picture in the paper,” Rose said. He would continue to explain why it made sense at second and third base, not home.
Rose was full of stories, all of which put his integrity, love of the game and its fans on display.
That integrity started with his dad.
Rose’s father, Pete Sr., used to watch him play in Cincinnati. He had to leave by 8:30 so he could go to bed before work the next day. Rose never saw his father after the game. But one day his dad was waiting next to the car.
Rose immediately thought his mom was sick; it wasn’t like his father to wait around.
He asked, “The third time up tonight when you had the man on third, and you hit that ball to second base. Did you run hard to first?”
Rose said that he thought back to that at-bat, “No, I didn’t,” he admitted to his father.
“Don’t embarrass me like that in this town,” Pete Sr. said. “When you hit a ball, you run until the umpire says ‘out’ or ‘safe.'”
That’s what integrity is. Don’t snicker when I mention that Rose gave a lecture on ethics. He made one mistake.–ONE.– He’s paid his price.
You can never say that he didn’t play the game with integrity and love. He did it better than anyone else.
What could bring those stories to fans everywhere and do so alongside Bench, Perez, and Morgan, all in their golden jackets.
What could he bring to players? The knowledge of what happens when you break the rules. He could teach them the integrity. Instill in minor leaguers that you want full ballparks. Rose says that “seats are for people to sit in.”
He has a lot to offer the game, the players, especially his pure love and joy for the game of baseball and its fans.
“You can’t cheat the fans,” Rose said. “Players have to understand that.”
“Hopefully, people will learn from my mistakes, and they won’t make the same mistakes, so you can use my case as something that helps people.”
Pete Rose is baseball’s best ambassador, and he will forever live on in the Hall (auditorium) at Miami University.
Now the ball is in MLB and Commissioner Manfred’s court.
“If I’m ever given a second chance, I’ll be the happiest guy in the world,” Rose said. “I won’t need a third chance.”
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