A Rose by Any Other Name

As a kid growing up on the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1970s, you didn’t have much choice other than to worship Peter Edward Rose. Charlie Hustle, as he was known was a legend around these parts. To be honest, I was never much of a sports fan, even as a kid , but my father was, which means I saw plenty of Reds games as a kid, including watching Pete Rose play. It was such a part of our culture that even someone that wasn’t in the sports could get excited. I was much more interested in movies, including a science fiction movie that came out in 1977, and that’s where my true passions lie.

In any case, Pete Rose was a legend, he overcame any limitations he had simply by hustling. It was kind of his whole thing: he won the World Series and went on to have more hits than any other player in the history of baseball. I met the man a few times, including at a book signing where I got his famous autograph that he would shill to anyone for any price.

Of course, his reputation, including gambling on baseball and allegations of sexual abuse, became part of his legacy, so much so that the person with the most hits in the history of the game will never be in the Hall of Fame. My worship of Rose eroded with my interest in sports ball. But you cannot ignore the impact Rose had on the city.

Pete Rose passed away yesterday, leaving behind a tarnished legacy, but one that most fans are willing to ignore because of his legend. Facebook is full of tributes, and rightly so, but let’s not forget who Pete Rose really was: a flawed man who was pretty good at baseball.