Aug. 8 — Pete Rose said in an ESPN interview to be aired Sunday night that he believes his enthusiasm and talent in working with young players will help end his banishment from baseball in 1989 for gambling.
“I LOVE BASEBALL. I love to teach baseball. I love young players. I love veteran players. I’d like to rebuild something,” Rose said in the interview. “I think I proved that I can handle people and I learned some things in those four and a half years (of managing the Reds in the last 1980s) that would help me become a better manager if I ever had the chance again.
As a player, Rose’s accomplishments were unmatched. He owns the record for most hits (4,256) and earned the nickname “Charley Hustle” for his all-out style of play. He helped the Cincinnati Reds win two World Series and the Philadelphia Phillies win one. As a manager, he compiled a 412-373 overall record in parts of six seasons as Cincinnati’s manager from 1984-89, and teams finished second in the old National League West in all four of his full seasons.
“I think I can be an asset to baseball because, there again, we know we made some mistakes, but there again, I think everybody will admit that I love the game of baseball and I approach the game of baseball the way you’re supposed to approach the game of baseball and I love young players because they give you all of that enthusiasm.
“Whether anybody wants to admit it, my name is synonymous with baseball because of what I accomplished on the field and because I played for 24 years,” he said. “I’ve been on the cover of Sports Illustrated 19 times, and I’m ugly, so people recognize me. And they put two and two together and one’s Pete Rose and the other is baseball.
“Is there an owner that would give me an opportunity? I have to think so,” he said. “I don’t want to sound cocky or brash or anything, but there’s two things I’m going to bring to the table — I’m going to win, and I’m going to put people in the seats. If you’re not interested in doing any of those things, don’t call my number.”
http://www.msnbc.com/news/950115.asp?0cv=SB10
“I LOVE BASEBALL. I love to teach baseball. I love young players. I love veteran players. I’d like to rebuild something,” Rose said in the interview. “I think I proved that I can handle people and I learned some things in those four and a half years (of managing the Reds in the last 1980s) that would help me become a better manager if I ever had the chance again.
As a player, Rose’s accomplishments were unmatched. He owns the record for most hits (4,256) and earned the nickname “Charley Hustle” for his all-out style of play. He helped the Cincinnati Reds win two World Series and the Philadelphia Phillies win one. As a manager, he compiled a 412-373 overall record in parts of six seasons as Cincinnati’s manager from 1984-89, and teams finished second in the old National League West in all four of his full seasons.
“I think I can be an asset to baseball because, there again, we know we made some mistakes, but there again, I think everybody will admit that I love the game of baseball and I approach the game of baseball the way you’re supposed to approach the game of baseball and I love young players because they give you all of that enthusiasm.
“Whether anybody wants to admit it, my name is synonymous with baseball because of what I accomplished on the field and because I played for 24 years,” he said. “I’ve been on the cover of Sports Illustrated 19 times, and I’m ugly, so people recognize me. And they put two and two together and one’s Pete Rose and the other is baseball.
“Is there an owner that would give me an opportunity? I have to think so,” he said. “I don’t want to sound cocky or brash or anything, but there’s two things I’m going to bring to the table — I’m going to win, and I’m going to put people in the seats. If you’re not interested in doing any of those things, don’t call my number.”
http://www.msnbc.com/news/950115.asp?0cv=SB10
