Pete Rose Missed Out on Coca Cola Park @PeteRose_14

I may get a bit opinionated on this post. I’ve worn my #14 Phillies Pete Rose jersey to the majority of the 300+ games I’ve attended at Coca cola Park.

I’m a baseball fan. I’m a Pete Rose fan. How do I get along with myself?

Pete Rose was banned from baseball. He’s not alone in that distinction. The Chicago Black Sox and Joe Jackson are right there with him.

Did they or did they not do anything wrong? Who knows and these days who cares. Joe Jackson was cleared by courts of any wrongdoing, he was still banned.

Age old story, sacrifice the individual over the pride of the organization.

***

Last week the IronPigs made a blockbuster announcement. Pete Rose, the all time MLB hit leader would be appearing at Coca Cola Park to sign autographs for fans. There was a fee and all autographs were to be on an IronPig “logo” baseball. I don’t mind paying for a Pete Rose autograph, he makes his living that way. His generation wasn’t paid like today and there is no marketing, coaching or broadcasting job waiting for him. I didn’t care for the idea of his autograph on an IronPigs ball. Still suspicious on if it was a real baseball or one of the soft ones flung to clamoring fans between innings. No matter though, that’s insignificant.

Word got out. The kabash was put on it. Word was cancelled. Refunds offered. This only happened once before an IronPig’s game previously and was due to errant rehab assignment news.

So what happened? The official statement of the IronPigs was bland and simply informatory. No comments were issued to all who asked. The statement, though, didn’t read like an IronPig statement. It didn’t have the same “feel” to it. Makes me think it was written by someone else. Who? Interesting to ponder where it came from if it had not been drafted by our beloved IronPig staff.

So the statement released and the fans groaned, the ticket office groaned, the staff groaned.. I’m sure Pete Rose groaned too. I wonder who else groaned and/or…. didn’t groan about the cancellation. Who would benefit with the cancellation? Who would take pride in squashing this happy happy event? Interesting to ponder who wouldn’t want this event to happen.

I could see Pete Rose out in Las Vegas worrying that his fans are upset about not meeting him. He may blame himself yet again for the separation his (alleged) gambling caused. We still love you Pete!

Who to blame? Who cares.

I don’t blame the IronPigs. I don’t blame Pete Rose. They both wanted it to happen. In fact I applaud them. Enough time has passed that I’m sure every young baseball player out there knows not to gamble. If they power slammed Pete Rose for it, they won’t hesitate to act on someone else.

These walls need to be torn down and forgiveness offered. Forgiveness only benefits the forgiver. The one being forgiven still lives with the guilt of their act. It’s time. It really is.

This event reminded us of only a couple events that Pete was allowed to participate in. I believe it was an All Star game festivity in Cincinnati and an All Century team deal that MLB allowed him in.

Who would really profit from allowing Pete back in baseball? Everyone! MLB would be viewed as forgiving and a grateful mass of fans would swoon over the decision. Would anyone actually get upset about his ban being lifted or softened? Well, yeah. You know there are a few… but they complain about cheering too loud at a ballgame too. MLB certainly profited from Pete being at those two games along with the positive publicity of allowing him to be there.

Who would have profited over Pete being at the IronPigs this weekend? Pete. The IronPigs. His loyal fans. Not many others would have… who wouldn’t have profited from it. Who…

I don’t see this attempt to make folks happy as a slap in the face to MLB. I don’t see it as an embarrassment to them either. I see it for what it is.

You can make your own decision to what you see it as.

OinK