Ignoring his predecessor’s 1999 mistake, not to mention violation, Commissioner Rob Manfred let Pete Rose participate in the pre-game All-Star festivities Tuesday night in his hometown of Cincinnati. What mistake did Bud Selig make in 1999? He let Rose participate in All-Century team festivities before Game 2 of the World Series.
Selig would deny it was a mistake even though Rose’s appearance at Turner Field in Atlanta triggered a wild ovation and weeks-long speculation that Rose would be reinstated and loud calls for his reinstatement. Rose had applied for reinstatement two years earlier, and his rare on-field appearance encouraged his supporters to intensify their efforts.
Selig wouldn’t call it a mistake because he shut his ears and eyes to their clamor and continued to ignore them and Rose.
The timing of this Rose on-field appearance could make a difference. He has again applied for reinstatement, marking his first attempt with the new commissioner, and Manfred has said he will meet with Rose and his representatives and consider his request.
Rose’s supporters, of whom there are many, see Manfred’s commitment as a positive step, and they will see Rose’s appearance at Great American Ball Park as a further sign that something good is coming. Manfred, on the other hand, has cautioned that nothing should be read into his statements.
Manfred was a Major League Baseball executive in 1999 and experienced the Rose appearance up close so why would he duplicate it now?
According to a well-connected (to MLB) lawyer, you have to go back to last August to understand Manfred’s thinking. Manfred was elected commissioner last Aug. 14. The owners’ vote was 23-7, the minimum ratio Manfred needed for election.
One of the seven owners who voted against Manfred and for his opponent, Tom Werner, a part owner of the Boston Red Sox, was Bob Castellini, president, chief executive officer and controlling owner of the Reds.
Having Rose as a participant in All-Star festivities was important to Castellini, and he let Manfred know it. This was important to Castellini for economic reasons and fan affection.
Manfred could have rejected Castellini’s efforts, saying, in effect, why should I give you what you want when you tried to keep me from becoming commissioner. But allowing Rose to participate in All-Star festivities, Manfred apparently figured, was a small price to pay for being politically wise and giving Castellini a major reason to be on his side the next time. Now Castellini owes Manfred.
Neither Manfred nor Castellini responded to requests for interviews on the Rose matter. I received replies from a spokesman for the commissioner on a couple of questions, but the answers seemed to be contradictory.
What is the extent of Rose’s participation in pre-game festivities?
“The Reds gave Commissioner Manfred a letter for how Pete Rose could be incorporated into the All-Star festivities and he approved their request.”
The Reds’ apparently mentioned MLB’s Franchise Four promotion, for which fans voted for each franchise’s best four players, and Rose appeared pre-game on the field as one of the Reds’ players. He received an ovation from the Cincinnati crowd that was louder and longer than the reception given Joe Morgan and Barry Larkin and about the same as Johnny Bench received.
Next question shortly later: I have been told that Rob agreed to Castellini’s request on Rose for political reasons, that he wanted to placate Castellini, who, I am told, emphasized how important it was for him from the standpoint of fans and economics to have Rose participate.
“Pete being involved was determined well before the election and being involved was consistent with what we allowed with him in previous fan voted events.”
The first answer said the Reds sent Manfred a letter and he said ok. The second answer said Rose’s role was determined “well before” Manfred’s election. I guess you have to take your pick.
Actually, Manfred was as wrong as Selig in allowing Rose to participate (Selig did it twice, letting Rose attend a 2005 ceremony in which the Reds celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Rose hit that broke Ty Cobb’s career hit record.)
Manfred and Selig violated the rule covering permanently ineligible players. Those players are not permitted to receive assistance or benefits from any team or any league. The two commissioners ignored that part of the ineligible rule.
There was a difference between this Rose appearance and the one in 1999. Unlike that first one, Rose wasn’t subjected to a rigorous on-field interview.
After the introduction of the All-Century team before the second game of the World Series, Rose came off the field into the waiting arms of Jim Gray, then an NBC television reporter. The interview was very likely the most contentious ever undertaken by a television sports reporter.
Gray was instantly and severely criticized for the interview. Many of his critics, unfortunately, were members of the news media. My reaction to that criticism was the critics didn’t deserve the designation of journalist.
Gray: Pete, let me ask you now. It seems as though there is an opening, the American public is very forgiving. Are you willing to show contrition, admit that you bet on baseball and make some sort of apology to that effect?
Rose: Not at all, Jim. I’m not going to admit to something that didn’t happen. I know you’re getting tired of hearing me say that. But I appreciate the ovation. I appreciate the American fans voting me on the All-Century team. I’m just a small part of a big deal tonight.
Gray: With the overwhelming evidence in that report, why not make that step…
Rose: No. This is too much of a festive night to worry about that because I don’t know what evidence you’re talking about. I mean, show it to me…
Gray: Well, the Dowd Report says- but we don’t want to debate that, Pete.
Rose: Well, why not? Why do we want to believe everything he says?
Later in the interview:
Gray: Pete, those who will hear this tonight will say you have been your own worst enemy and continue to be. How do you respond to that?
Rose: In what way are you talking about?
Gray: By not acknowledging what seems to be overwhelming evidence.
Rose: Yeah, I’m surprised you’re bombarding me like this. I mean I’m doing an interview with you on a great night, a great occasion, a great ovation. Everybody seems to be in a good mood. And you’re bringing up something that happened 10 years ago.
Rose was speaking in 1999. It would be nearly five more years before he would admit that he bet on baseball. More than 10 years after that, Rose is still lying about how he never bet as a player and never placed bets from the manager’s office.
Gray, however, was unfairly scorned. Viewers flooded NBC and local affiliates with telephone calls protesting the interview, and Gray was forced to apologize on the air before the next game. I felt the apology was uncalled for.
Speaking on the telephone a few hours before this year’s All-Star game, Gray said, “My interview was a chance for Pete to come clean and he elected not to. It was just detrimental to his own cause.
“He’s cursed with one thing and that’s the fundamental inability to tell the truth.
“It’s all on him. He still doesn’t have the fundamental knowledge of right from wrong.”
No one interviewed Rose on television after he was announced as one of the Reds’ “Franchise Four.” After the game, he appeared briefly on the Fox post-game show, performing his duty as a Fox analyst. He told of having met Manfred before the game.
“I thanked him because he was the reason I was here,” Rose said.
Unless Manfred suffers a brain cramp, the next time they meet Rose won’t be saying thank you.
Lest you forgot, the American League’s 6-3 victory over the National means the A.L. pennant winner will have homefield advantage in the World Series.
* * * * * *
Seven years ago from the date on this column, the Internet gave birth to a column that has appeared on this site 738 times and shows up regularly twice a week, offering the kind of column that used to be staples in daily newspapers.
The operators of this site don’t promise eternal appearance, but we never thought we would still be here seven years later.