our next guest appeared in more winning games than anyone in the history of the
game of baseball in 1985 at Riverfront Stadium he surpassed High Cobb to become the all-time
hit King ladies and Gentlemen please welcome number 14 Pete Rose [Applause]
welcome to the program Pete Welcome to New York you know I was thinking when we heard
that you were going to be on the show we were all very excited and then about the same time
your old friend buddy Harrelson was relieved of his job with the Mets and I remember I don't
know if it was a playoff situation or whether it was just a heated pennant race or something
you and Buddy in a game out at Shea got into some kind of a dust up do you remember that no
hey sure that was 1973 during the National League playoffs and I broke up a double play at second
base and he didn't like it and he called me a name I said hey buddy you don't know me that well
next thing I know we were wrestling the second base but that's uh what that boiled down to is
two athletes trying to play for one thing that's the right to go to the World Series yeah how do
you get along with Buddy now when you see him yeah we had a renewal in in one of the years I
was at Philadelphia we were teammates and lo and behold Pete Rose II and buddy's kid had
a fight during the game one time in the tunnel in the batting cage wow he won that too so it's
genetic genetic yeah I got to ask you a question yeah go ahead I know I have a reason I slid head
first for 24 years you know that's that's why my hair is like it is what the hell is your excuse
[Applause] now Pete don't make me call the warden
[Applause]
I'm sorry yeah my walk in I thought he was staying upside down
well it's hey it's a it's a roast
um yeah let me let me ask you a couple of things about uh I you know my team when I
was a kid growing up was the Cincinnati Reds and and the team you grow up with is is always your
team we used to go down there to Crosley Field and watch him play and so this this year the the Reds
I guess about the All-Star break it looked like they didn't really have a serious run at it and
then odd stuff started to happen Rod Rob Dibble heaves a ball into the into the into the stands
yeah injure is somebody most guys can't throw a ball that far yeah and he saved a game and
I guess he was mad about a play that happened he just turned around through at the center field and
hit an elderly lady and she took in the quarter they settled out of court or something and that
that really didn't start to Rez on her downfall they just had a lot of injuries and and a lot of
guys didn't have the same kind of years this year they did last year and if you fall into
Atlanta you followed Pittsburgh which I know you haven't they got a lot of guys had great
years yeah that's why they're in the playoffs but but Pete the question is when you see guys
doing that kind of stuff do you think to yourself boy if I was managing a team you wouldn't see a
guy even a ball into the stands I can't say that Dave because I was managing Rob Dibble a couple
years ago and and he got mad because the guy got a base hit he was backing up home and he picked
up a bat through it against the the screen which is about 40 feet high yeah so I taught him how
to do that oh I see so as a manager do you kind of like to see a little of that or does it just
give you kind of a sick well you like to see emotion but you don't like to see a situation
where a guy might hurt another person yeah but Rob's a really competitive guy and he he hates
to give up runs he hates to give up hits and he just hasn't learned how to control his emotion
yet yeah uh let's let's talk a little bit about the time you were away what I've been away a lot
another road trip for you Pete one of those one of those five month road trips all the
food water you can drink and eat right yeah what do you what do you think when when people I think
understand that you had to do some time what is in your mind the biggest misconception about your
situation with baseball your situation with the taxes your situation with everything what do you
think people don't know what do you think they have wrong about you well I think I think people
uh think I'm the same person sitting here as I was when I played the game of baseball and what
I mean by that when I played a game of baseball I guess I was sort of an arrogant cocky no good sop
I had to play the game hard as I possibly could but when I'm off of a baseball diamond uh I'm
a prince I'm easy to get along with I don't try to I didn't bow him over like he said yeah he's
a star I passed a man now find out he gets more money we'll take care of that I thought we were
doing it for nothing we'll adjust that um now when uh um when you were when you were in the state of
Illinois at as a guest as a guest Marianne yeah um what what is that what does that do to you
what do you uh what do you know first thing when I got there it seemed like every there was 230
guys there when I got there that's at the camp now across the street was the main prison where they
had 400 guys and and I worked over there I was in the welding Department I didn't learn how to weld
but I was in the welding Department uh But there again at the camp 230 guys and 210 of them were
there because of drugs and they all wanted to tell me their case you know how they got caught I never
forget this one guy was doing 29. not months he was doing years don't answer what the hell he
was doing at the camp nine years he was doing 29 years of the camp and he said Peter he said you
know he said I used to have a home in Columbia I had a home in in Palm Springs I had a home
in Denver and I had one in Chicago and I had my own lawyer jet he said they didn't catch me with
any cocaine they didn't catch me with any money well I said how the hell did you get put in here
he said conspiracy I said that don't sound like much he said yeah but 123 people snitched on me
what what can you do with that you spend your time I mean he's about ready to get
out I mean he worked at the recreation office and that's where I did most of
my hanging around because they had a TV and I could watch sports did you play any ball
while you're in there no I I went in there about two weeks after I had a knee operate
on but I was a coach in the uh believe it or not the name of the team was the Outlaws yeah
gear
[Applause]
for practice for me I would hit infield practice form and on on Wednesdays and Thursdays they had
a team from the outside come in to play the guys they were some pretty good ball players in there
because you know you're in pretty good shape you don't have a lot of alcohol to drink in
there and there's no women in there so the guys are in real good shape so if you want to tidy up
I know a good place to stay no no no no um did you uh um how did you get all those hits anyway
no but I mean seriously how what were you doing differently than everybody else who's
ever played the game well I was lucky because I didn't have any major injuries uh I did miss
10 games in 11 years wow uh and I was lucky because I could switch it I could hit the
boat all three fields and I used to pay off most of the pictures no no no no no no no
no uh you're eligible and correct me if any of this is inaccurate you're eligible to
be reinstated by the commissioner uh January January oh is that right yeah a year after I
was suspended I was suspended in 1989 but I just really haven't applied for uh for reinstatement
because I'm still on supervise released until January the fourth or 5th and once I'm through
with that I'll have everything behind me I'm doing the things that you as a citizen would
appreciate as being another citizen I'm cleaning up my act and we'll go from there right and and
you you hope to eventually be reinstated you would like to get back into baseball I guess
maybe manage necessarily David I'd like to get reinstated because uh the ultimate goal
for any players to reach the Hall of Fame yeah and I can't go to the Hall of Fame unless I'm
reinstated so I guess in my case not sounding uh arrogant or cocky you just sort of want what
you uh what you earned yeah yeah in my case I had a lot of fun playing a game I had quite a
life Pete you've had quite a life you've been at the very highest and you've also had some
low spots but I guess that's life well anyway until you can put on another Jersey again we
had one of our own made up for it and we'd like you to have that thank you [Applause]
we have to pause here for a commercial we'll be right back what uh do you have any uh predictions
for the the playoffs I guess uh American League National League both tied at a game of peace
what do you think I really think the best team in baseball is is Pittsburgh but they didn't
play very well last night right I think it'd be great uh to see Minnesota yeah
[Laughter]
playoffs and two of them come from last to first so that'd be kind of unusual if
Minnesota and Atlantic play in the world series I mean that shows a parody there is in baseball
going from last place to the World Series when you get back into baseball and somebody from
the Yankees comes to you and says geez we got a managerial opening here would you take that
oh I think it's New York's a great City I'm you know I'm not going to politics
that would flatter me if someone thought I could turn the Yankees around that could be
fun that's a good combination you you and and the Yankees and and is it a big job
once a week right yeah that's right hell you could do it every night Pete um thanks Johnny
Pete thank you very much it was uh it was a thrill to have you here and I appreciate
you finding the time for us in your schedule I need now to apologize to the Red Hot Chili
Peppers I'm sorry it's my fault I know we'll have them back as soon as they're
not not going to be on and it's my fault and I'd also like to apologize to their sister Jennifer
um my thanks to uh Charles Grodin will see you uh Monday night have a good weekend