Met Pete Rose today and signed his gamer..

[33bird]

Ran down to Vegas today to Ceasars Palace and met Pete Rose today. He signed my 1970's game used Adirondack: Pete Rose MY BAT- 75 and 76 WS CHAMPS and 75 WS MVP. He was real cool. I sat down and talked to him for about 5 minutes or more. He said he always thought Adirondack bats had better wood than LS. He told me about all his different bats he used: U1, S2, S222, R195. I actually knew more about his bats than he did. He forgot what years he used the Adirondack. I reminded him that he used it in the 1975 and 1976 seasons. He said he doesn't like to sign GAME USED on items because he doesn't understand how people got his game used bats. He said he NEVER gave one away (yea right). He also said he hardly EVER cracked a bat. Said during his 44 game hit steak he used the same bat the whole streak. I reminded him his bats were 35 inches and 33.5 ounces in the 70's. He said: Yea, only at the start of the season. As it wore on I would use a lighter bat (I'm not sure about this either). When he signed 1975 WS champs I said to him: STill the best world series ever, right Pete? And he said Yep. It was a cool experience. He was really great. He took pictures with me and my boys and talked to them too. My youngest had his Charlie Hustle T-shirt on and told Pete that he had his son's game used bat-Pete Jr-that I bought him. Pete kept holding that bat and swung it and didn't let go of it for the whole time. Even during the picture he's holding on to it like it brought back good memories. It also shows that athletes won't rememeber everything about their game used stuff-I mean it was 35 years ago! I will post my pictures once I get them ready. Nice to meet your childhood hero-and after meeting them-they still remain your heroes.
Greg
biggamebird@yahoo.com

[joelsabi]

Ran down to Vegas today to Ceasars Palace and met Pete Rose today. He signed my 1970's game used Adirondack: Pete Rose MY BAT- 75 and 76 WS CHAMPS and 75 WS MVP. He was real cool. I sat down and talked to him for about 5 minutes or more. He said he always thought Adirondack bats had better wood than LS. He told me about all his different bats he used: U1, S2, S222, R195. I actually knew more about his bats than he did. He forgot what years he used the Adirondack. I reminded him that he used it in the 1975 and 1976 seasons. He said he doesn't like to sign GAME USED on items because he doesn't understand how people got his game used bats. He said he NEVER gave one away (yea right). He also said he hardly EVER cracked a bat. Said during his 44 game hit steak he used the same bat the whole streak. I reminded him his bats were 35 inches and 33.5 ounces in the 70's. He said: Yea, only at the start of the season. As it wore on I would use a lighter bat (I'm not sure about this either). When he signed 1975 WS champs I said to him: STill the best world series ever, right Pete? And he said Yep. It was a cool experience. He was really great. He took pictures with me and my boys and talked to them too. My youngest had his Charlie Hustle T-shirt on and told Pete that he had his son's game used bat-Pete Jr-that I bought him. Pete kept holding that bat and swung it and didn't let go of it for the whole time. Even during the picture he's holding on to it like it brought back good memories. It also shows that athletes won't rememeber everything about their game used stuff-I mean it was 35 years ago! I will post my pictures once I get them ready. Nice to meet your childhood hero-and after meeting them-they still remain your heroes.
Greg
biggamebird@yahoo.com

nice story greg. glad it worked out for you.

[geoff]

Great Story.Thanks for sharing.

[helmets]

Nice story. Pete Rose was always my hero as well. I was Pete Rose growing up while playing baseball. Crouched like him, batted like him, hustled like him, and slid head first like him. After I met him a number of years ago, he was no longer my hero...

[flaco1801]

I always thought Pete Rose was one of the best ball players i ever saw... even tho he had fought my boyhood hero (Bud Harrelson). i was even at the game. sold hot dogs that day and quit early enuff to sit in the yellow box seats for the figh LOLOLOL.. he had no arm, no speed, no power. he made hmself great with determination, and of course HUSTLE... shame hes not in the hall... once they let the steroid boys in then we will be justified to complain, actually anyone who ever saw his career was blessed.... really dont matter what the powers that be do.. we saw Charlie Hustle and that is all that really matters...

[33bird]

Yea, He's my hero for what he did between the chalk lines. I don't care for all the other stuff at all: Gambling, IRS problems, Prison. But growing up all of us thought he was the best. He played the game right-BUT-He didn't always the play the game of life right.

[rj_lucas]

Can you even imagine the notion of a player/manager today?

Very interesting comment Pete made about cracked bats. Definitely speaks to the difficultly of getting tight grain anymore.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[33bird]

Ok-here's the pictures of the signing and the bat. No making fun of the dude in the Bulls hat!

[33bird]

Here's some good photos of him using the Adirondack model in 1975 and 76

[Swoboda4]

Greg- Very good. You know when I went to a show in Brooklyn(1987) both Rose and Mantle were the guests. I wanted to meet Pete and my father,the Yankee fan went on line for Mantle. My father said Mantle was,"a cold fish"(not talkative). I was very happy to have met Pete,even at a card show. Although a Met fan,I like Pete. How can you not?
--- PS Once I saw an old black and white photo of a crewcut rookie Pete sitting next to the bat rack in a dugout. I would love to get a 16x20 of that and have him sign it in red. Anyone know the photo? Can't seem to find it---
Robert