DAILY DIRT: Despite his flaws, Pete Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, even after his death

It’s a sad day for baseball, folks. A very sad day … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,074 of The Daily Dirt

1. Over the years, I’ve told the story many times to friends, about the day I had lunch with Pete Rose.

The mid-1980s meeting, shortly before Rose would set the all-time hits record, was at a small restaurant in Mansfield, Ohio. The lunch had been arranged by a good friend of mine who had hired Rose to be in town for the grand opening his new sporting good store. 

I was able to break bread with Rose — actually, I think we both had burgers — during what was a 90-minute lunch that dealt with nothing but baseball and stories about the game.

When my son, Geoff, texted me early Monday evening that Rose, 83, had died I was sitting in the stands at Quincy High School, watching the Blue Devils and Hannibal play volleyball.

I felt my heart sink. I turned to a friend sitting beside me, Frank Cash, and mouthed the words, “Pete Rose has died”. Frank looked about as shocked as I felt. Rose was his favorite player, he said, while growing up.

Admittedly, I had trouble concentrating on that volleyball match. My mind kept wandering back to that lunch with Rose so many years ago.

My opinion never changed about Rose before, during or after that meeting. He was egotistical and wore his many flaws on his sleeve. But one thing I always gave him credit for was his pure, unadulterated love for the greatest game on the face of the Earth.

While I was never a fan of Rose (Indians/Guardians fans, of which I have always been one, naturally hated the downstate Reds), I always admired his accomplishments and it’s a travesty he is not in the Hall of the Fame. Think about it — Rose received a lifetime ban for betting on baseball games (not on or against the Reds, and not while he was player), which is against all that is holy within the MLB rule book.

But …

My friend Jeff Dorsey may have said it best Monday night:

“It’s ironic that all you see now on baseball TV broadcasts are ads for gambling,” Dorsey wrote on Facebook. “Rose deserved better.”

Was Pete Rose kind of a jerk? I’d have to say yes.

Was Pete Rose one of the best ball players to ever wear stirrup socks? Most assuredly.

Does Pete Rose, who I’m sure died with a broken heart, deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? Yes, he does, MLB. Yes, he most assuredly does.

2. Did you know (Part 138)

• That there are 21 million penguins in Antarctica and the population of Ireland is 6.6 million, so if all of the penguins in Antarctica decided to invade Ireland each person would have to fight off more than 3 million penguins. (Thanks, Monty Python.)
• That the losingest quarterbacks in NFL history are: Vinny Testaverde, 134; Steve DeBerg, 126; Eli Manning, 118; Drew Brees 115; Brett Favre, 114; Norm Snead, 114; and Fran Tarkenton, 114.
• That the earthy smell from the rain is called “petrichor”. (PUBLISHER’S NOTE: MRN faux CEO ED-G says I’m crazy when I tell her I smell the rain coming. Ha! JRG is right again! JRG)
• That eating squid eyes in China is considered a delicacy. Each squid eye can cost up to $200.
• That on the average, people spend the equivalent of two years of their lives watching TV commercials.

3. I always enjoyed watching Dick Butkus play linebacker for the Chicago Bears. He was one bad mutha … shut yo mouth!

This is probably my favorite Butkus-related story:

“When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately — unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something.” — Dick Butkus

To which running back Floyd Little once responded:

“Butkus hit me so hard my body almost liquified. He helped me up and said, ‘You OK?’

Little responded, “Yeah of course”.

Butkus then said, “Well, if you’re OK, why are you in our huddle?”

Little turned and headed back to the Denver huddle.

“He’d hit me so hard I’d followed him into the Bears huddle. He turned me around and sent me back.”

That’s the NFL I grew up with — and loved. I’m not sure they’re playing the same game today.

Steve Thought O’ The Day – Elton John has said the least favorite song he ever recorded was “Crocodile Rock”. Seriously, Elton? Come on!! (He must have forgotten about the dreadful “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”.)

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. For once, he is right. Baseball, do the right thing and honor Pete in Cooperstown next year.