The LuLac Edition #5, 178, September 30th, 2024

 

      MEMORIES OF PETE

Pete Rose.  That was a baseball player’s name.

Two syllables.

Ever since he was named Rookie of the year in 1963 Pete Rose was one of “my guys”. See men of a certain age who loved baseball had a roster of “guys” just as Eddie Ackerman who had his St. Louis Cardinals “guys” did.

Pete was neither a power hitter nor a shy fellow; he burst onto the scene like a comet that was coming at opponents with wild abandon. As kids in Catholic school we were told to be humble and not brag.

But Pete……he gave us permission to go a little wild on that playground as well imitated the brashness and strut of number 14.

Rose was the key to the Cincinnati Reds in the 70s and then became a free agent and went to the Phillies. As a young  boy of 10 I was a huge Phillies fan in ’64 and after the crash, pretty much stuck to my American League team, Cleveland.

In the winter of 1980 Pete made is way to Wilkes-Barre with the annual Phillies caravan. At that time I was writing a column or The Sunday Dispatch. This was the paper of old with the Watson family publishing it, the late Pidge Watson and Dick Cosgrove at the helm with writers like the aforementioned  Ackerman, Phil  Gianfdricaro , the late Mike Cotter, Kenny Feeney and little old me had the privilege to work there. 

I got press credentials and interviewed Rose. I was a bit intimidated because I had just started to write a column called “The Strike Zone” after Gianfricaro went on to bigger and better things in Allentown. When I saw my good friend Rob Neyhard and Sid Michaels interviewing Rose at Genetti's, I positioned myself right there in the middle (yes that was my hair,  it was a holdover from 70s, give me a break!)  And after they were through, I asked Pete  a few boilerplate questions that I’m sure he heard a million times. He was cordial and patient.

That year, I went to 5 Phillies games and 8 Mets Double headers. (You can go on Martrz for $12.00 to see the Mets back then). I had clubhouse access and saw Pete a few times. He might not have known my name but knew of Pittston thanks to the late Bill Campbell, a former Phillies broadcaster who was working for the Philadelphia Daily News. Meeting Campbell was a thrill since he was a broadcaster for the Phillies in that fateful year of ’64. He called me “Pittston: every time  I’d see him. I think Rose kind of picked up ion that because in the general election President Carter was speaking at the Pittston  Area High School. Campbell was talking to Rose in the clubhouse and as I gingerly approached Campbell says to me, “What’s going on in Pittston, Pittston?” I said “The President is speaking at the high school”.

Rose quipped, “What the hell is Chub Feeney doing there?” (Feeney was President of the National League at the time.

Rose was baseball through and through. I’d see him at card shows and always wondered  why when signing autographs he’s being staring in rapt attention at basketball games that weren’t championship level.

He broke Ty Cobb’s record, was a shoo in for the Hall but then the gambling issue came up.

There are many opinions as to why he should or not be in the Hall. I tend to think that being banned from Cooperstown was punishment enough.

It’s too late now and I’m sure there might be a campaign to posthumously put him in.

But that will be too little too late. 

Pete Rose. Not perfect but someone who paid for his sins. I say let the hitting record stand as his legacy. There will be no asterisk attached there either. 

And in  way that might be the best tribute to one of the greatest players but imperect man in the game