I Got A Pete Rose Autographed Baseball - RIP Charlie Hustle
Pete Rose passed away today, Sept. 30, 2024. Pete Rose, also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle" was an American Major League Baseball Player, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds. Anyone from Ohio here? I am sure the majority of members of WA, especially those from North America, have heard or know of Pete Rose. Despite whatever any of you hardcore MLB fans think, it is my belief that HE SHOULD BE IN THE HOF!!!
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A UNIQUE STORY ABOUT PETE ROSE
As many of you know by just reading my profile, I spent most of my career in the Video Game Industry developing games on many different platforms. Shortly after I got into the industry in 1988, the company I worked for was Imagineering, Inc. We were a game development company, meaning we also developed games for other publishers. Absolute Entertainment was our own publisher of our own games.
So what does this have to do with Pete Rose and the Pete Rose Autographed Baseball he signed and handed to me? Yes! I saw him sign it. He was sitting right next to me and the rest of our company staff, only about a dozen of us plus the 3 owners. Imagineering, Inc. designed a baseball game for the Atari 2600 and wound up getting Pete Rose to endorse it. This was when he was a manager at the end of 1987.
Box Art of Pete Rose Baseball Video Game
Absolute Entertainment did a big promotional thing with the game when it came out. We called it, Pete Rose Baseball. I think Pete Rose filmed a short video promo with the game that day. After our meet and greet lunch in the company conference room, the company had purchased two dozen baseballs and he signed almost all of them. Everyone at Absolute Entertainment received a Pete Rose Autographed Baseball.
THE SECRETS WE HAD IN GLEN ROCK, NEW JERSEY
Though I do appreciate the autograph and being a baseball memorabilia and card collector, just sitting next to him having lunch and hearing him talk about his career as a player and now/then as a manager was so exciting. Plus he was answering all of our questions. What was he having for lunch? The company catered food from a very good deli right down the road in Glen Rock, NJ. No one knew Pete Rose was in our building.
Anytime the company had someone famous come into the office, we always had to be hush hush about it. There were a lot of kids in the area, a middle and a high school right around the corner. We just didn't want everyone in the neighborhood knowing we were a fast growing video game design company. Can you imagine people into video games knowing where we were and what famous people we had visiting?
L-R: My Co-Worker, Malcolm Jamal Warner & Me
Pete Rose was the first famous person I met and had lunch with, and Malcolm Jamal Warner was the second. He came to our office to film a cable TV program he had. His crew wanted to do a show about game development. It was called, How are Video Games Developed? Though I've met several other famous people, talking with Pete Rose about baseball and statistics, is what I really enjoyed the most.
So that's my short unique story about "Charlie Hustle" and the Pete Rose Video Game we developed for the Atari 2600 and 7800. It's a shame he didn't make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame before he died. I really do believe he should be in there despite the troubles he went through near the end of his career. If I remember correctly, didn't Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry cheat? I bet there were others too.
Any Pete Rose fans out there? That could be the next niche for your affiliate marketing website business. Just a thought. - HEY! How about my NY Yankees? Who wants to see a Yankees vs Dodgers World Series? Leave your comments below.
Recent Comments
14
That's a fantastic little story Robert!
As much as I love most sports, baseball is not one of them!
Appreciate the share though my friend and great to hear from you again! :-)
Hi, thanks for sharing your story; it's very cool. Based on the years he played, I agree he should have been in the HOF while he was alive. Yes, he screwed up; I don't think it's any worse than what alot of other players have done - in any sport. They are keeping Curt Schilling out because they don't like what he said about something. I would like them to keep the high school popularity crap out of it and base it on performance; that's just my opinion.
Oh, and HELL NO lol, no Yankees, I was born and raised near Boston, so ..... no way lol... My Red Sox suck lol, but I will never root for the Yankees; our rivalry lives on :-)
As soon as you mentioned Curt Schilling, I knew you were a Red Sox fan. That's OK. I understand your position. I wouldn't root for Boston either. We've exchanged ball players many times. Some, like Babe Ruth, went on to greatness after becoming a Yankee. ;)
Hi Robert!
Thanks for sharing! I did not know that he had passed away.
He was fun to watch play ball!
How awesome to get to meet him in person,and to hang out while creating a video game!!
I watch Pete play in the 70's. ( on tv, I was not at the game). He was a hell of a player.
To bad he had to spoil it by betting. The worst way to disrespect the sport!
Worse than steroids, although just as bad, tainted the game.
So, no HOF for Pete.
Rudy
It was an awesome experience. Rose certainly was a hard player and still holds many records. I'm not happy how he handled his illegalities, but I just don't think that he should be barred from the HOF.
I see it in the way of him making all the accomplishments come before the crime. Maybe MLB should create a list of great players with an asterisk next to their names, that should be in the HOF.
The HOF is an elite group of ballplayers that achieved success to warrant their induction.
Sure, Rose played hard, smashed some records that may never be broken, yet gambled on his own team, and LIED about it when confronted.
In his autobiography, he admitted that he DID gamble while a MANAGER, not as a player.
Gambling is a disease, and he was afflicted, so Ihave some compassion for the guy.
However, that doesn't make it right.
The rules state very clearly stated that gambling/betting on a team is an infraction.
I hear you, really...I love the game.
But Pete Rose will not be inducted into the HOF because he broke a cardinal law when he gambled on his team.
Rudy
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Lifelong Yankee fan here, Rob! My dad worked the #2 train in the Bronx, and I grew up passing the Old Yankee stadium on a daily basis. They're long overdue to get back to the world series!
I understand the debate about the hall of fame. I read about the "Black Sox Scandal" involving Shoeless Joe Jackson - who was also banned from the sport. I don't think there will ever be a clear answer on the issue.
Appreciate the post!
Isaiah 😊
YES! They are overdue. I've been a lifelong Yankees fan too. When I was a little boy my Dad introduced me to baseball by taking me to a few games at Shea Stadium. Though my Dad was originally a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, when they left NY, he became a Mets fan.
I did enjoy watching Willie Mays, Strawberry and many other older NY Mets players play the game, I just enjoyed watching the Yankees more. Plus the storied history of the franchise, it captured my interest and I became a fan. I even had season tickets.