Just don’t ask about baseball
Notice: Undefined variable: article_ad_placement3 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/single.php on line 128
Pete Rose is known for having been one of the best and most aggressive baseball players in the history of the game when he was a switch hitter for the Cincinnati Reds, and for being banished from Major League Baseball after it was found that he had bet on games while he was the manager of the Reds in the late 1980s. Rose’s legacy has been further tarnished by a recent report from ESPN that he wagered on games while he was a player, something that Rose has previously denied.
Still, Rose remains one of the most recognizable of all Major League luminaries from the last half-century or so, and the debate over whether bygones should be bygones and Rose should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame rages to this day. His celebrity – or notoriety, depending on your perspective – will surely bring some people out to Consol Energy Park in North Franklin Township tonight, when Rose will be on hand to sign Washington Wild Things merchandise – no Reds or MLB goods allowed – and serve as an honorary coach for the Frontier League team, spending half an inning at first base and another half inning at third base.
We were a little bewildered, and more than a little amused, when we received a notice last week saying Rose would perhaps be available to talk to the media during his time at the ballpark. However, we were informed that “it is our understanding that (Rose) will not discuss MLB, the Cincinnati Reds, or any information that has been in the news recently.”
Considering that most people are interested in Rose because he was 1) a formidable presence in Major League Baseball for many years, and 2) spent those years with the Cincinnati Reds, and 3) it’s customary for journalists to ask questions about things that are, indeed, in the news, we couldn’t quite figure out what anyone could ask Rose within those parameters.
Are Rose’s thoughts on the Iranian nuclear deal fair game? How should Greece resolve its debt crisis, and should it leave the eurozone? How about some tips for making a light and fluffy souffle?
We eagerly await Rose’s answers.