180: Let's Talk About Pete Rose (1941-2024)

"My all-time favorite baseball player was Pete Rose. It's not because he was the greatest player in the game, although he holds some of the game's greatest records that will likely never be broken. It's not because he was the most upstanding citizen; he had a hard, stubborn, ego and everyone knew it. What I loved about Pete Rose was the way he played the game of baseball when he was between the baselines. He was the essence of "blue collar" baseball. What I loved about Pete Rose was the fact that he made every little boy believe that they, too, could one day play professional baseball. You might be able to say a lot of things about Pete Rose, but it could never be said that he did not play to win. Whether it was Game 7 of the World Series, an All-Star Game, or a church picnic game, he played to win." – Chris Stewart