Pete Rose ..blast from the past!

[cactus725]

I was just scanning an old issue of SGT Rock (july NO. 330) and saw this ad...Man I wish I had this just because of what happened to ole Pete...still say they oughta let him in the Hall of Fame!

[Saroyan]

I didn't actually meet Pete- but I saw him up close at his restaurant in Boca Raton Florida years ago- he is a BEAST- really big dude in person- and a little scary looking!

I've never been a baseball fan so I don't have much of an opinion on whether or not he should be in the hall.

[cactus725]

Well, he was great and he never bet against his team. If you look at all that has gone on in the sports, IMO he did not do that much. I'm not a big fan but he was great! I did think the toy was cool.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I am not a ball fan in any way, but I have always felt he got a raw deal and they should put him in th HOF already. I mean, the hall is for what he did as a player

[ddgaff1132]

I'll WAGER that was a fun toy. Har Har
It has been my understanding that any or all organized sport franchise promote themselfs as for Entertainment only!!! And frown on gambling of any sort (Cause they dont getta cut). Therefore the powers that be will not or ever condone anyone found participating in gambling activity. In other words its more about the gambling than Pete.

[thunderbolt]

Used to see him around Winter Haven back when they still had a spring training team. Talked to him once, pretty nice guy.

[Random Axe]

I didn't actually meet Pete- but I saw him up close at his restaurant in Boca Raton Florida years ago- he is a BEAST- really big dude in person- and a little scary looking!

You must have seen him sitting with that HUGE noggin on his shoulders. In reality he's about 5'10".

True story: My father worked for Delta and retired some time ago. He was waiting outside in front of the terminal for the parking shuttle when a red sports car pulled up to the curb. It was Rose. Now, my father hates baseball and is a huge, tall man, very intimidating with one of those James Earl Jones booming voices. Pete mistakes my father for a valet and tosses his keys to him and tells him to park it somewhere nice. He tosses his keys into the road and tells him to park it his dam self. He was about to throw out his"don't you know who I am?", but after a few seconds of a staredown, he grabbed his keys and went inside looking for a valet.

All that said, that toy is pretty cool. He even has the blue Phillies uniform. Not sure how much it would be worth after his fall from grace, though. Thanks for sharing that picture.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Even though I was never a big baseball fan, growing up in Northern Kentucky (where we don't have any national sports teams), you knew who Pete Rose was. Him and Johnny Bench were practically gods, and did lots of local commercials and appearances. When I saw this ad in comics, I didn't know Rose had left the Reds! I was actually quite shocked.

Given the public disclosure of how many of our athletic "heroes" act nowadays, Pete's gambling habits seem quaint in a way. I definitely think the guy's record speaks for himself and he should be allowed in to the HOF.

Chris