Whoa…Pete Rose Jr. was still playing?
Posted by Andy on December 21, 2010
I was absolutely stunned to come across an article on ESPN.com saying that Pete Rose Jr. has signed on to become a minor-league manager for the White Sox.
The stunning part was not that he's becoming a manager, but that he was an active minor league player all the way up through last season. Indeed, his minor-league record confirms it: last year he played for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League, the same team for which Jose Canseco, Rickey Henderson, and Jose Lima once played.
Rose Jr. finishes his minor-league career with 1,918 games played and a .271 batting average, as compared to just 11 games in the big leagues with the Reds in 1997.
December 21st, 2010 at 11:57 am
I'm most impressed by his ability to play 50 games in 2006, despite serving a month in prison, and (I believe) five months of house arrest.
December 21st, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Almost 1,900 minor league hits ... more than 1,000 minor league RBI ... I had not a clue he was still around after 20+ years!
December 21st, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Hopefully the following in his father's footsteps is limited to just managing.
December 21st, 2010 at 12:50 pm
"Whoa" is right! But I never heard that Junior spent time being Big Bubba's date at the prison cotillion; what happened, if I may ask?
Maybe Marge Schott, Jr., will take over the Reds and give him a shot at managing in the Bigs -- or, maybe that's just my PMS {Pre-Mature Senility} kicking in.
December 21st, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I was shocked, too, and convinced it was a typo until I came here to check! Guess he's got daddy's drive if not his failings. . . .
December 21st, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Curious pattern to Petey's year-by-year HR totals:
2, 1, 0, 9, 7, 4, 4, 3, 25....
(And Chattanooga is not a HR haven.)
I'm not saying, implying, insinuating or hinting at anything.
Just noting that it's unusual for a player to play that long, at any level, and have 1 season (in the middle of the career) with a 4.7% HR rate, while the rest of the career combined has a 1.7% HR rate.
Though I guess Wade Boggs did something like that.
December 21st, 2010 at 2:15 pm
I should have read more before posting.
Petey pleaded guilty to distributing P.E.D.s to teammates:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2567258
December 21st, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Boy he really made the most out of his name.
At least HE is eligible for the HOF (minor leagues, of course).
December 21st, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Does he hold any minor league records?
December 21st, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Junior retires with 158 minor-league home runs. Too bad he couldn't have hung on to hit two more — his dad hit 160 in the majors.
December 21st, 2010 at 4:27 pm
This is just a guess, mind you; but I have my doubts that Petey will be able to resist picking up a bat now and again -- whatever else can be {and probably has been} said about both Charlie Hustle and his son, they play baseball like it's a labor of love.
December 21st, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Some players never quit playing. Last I heard, Spaceman Bill Lee was still playing in some sub-minor league somewhere.
December 21st, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Scab
December 21st, 2010 at 10:30 pm
He's only 5 days older than Ken Griffey, Jr.
And he's 2 days short of being 7 years younger than Jamie Moyer.
December 22nd, 2010 at 9:11 am
25 different teams and 16 different leagues.
December 23rd, 2010 at 9:13 am
The length of his career is a classic case of nepotism, much like Bobby Bonds, Jr. tooling around the minors for 11 years hitting .257 with 62 homers. I wonder how much longer Tony Gwynn, Jr. will last than the average Joe Shmoe. Even Chris Gwynn stuck around for 10 years, pretty good for a .261 hitter with 17 homers.
Apropos of nothing, I had the privilege of watching Tommie Aaron (7 seasons, .229 with 13 homers) pinch hit for the Braves in a game against the Mets at Shea Stadium on 8/27/70. Jim McAndrew struck him out.
I vaguely remember something on here about lesser-known brothers and sons of HOF players. If I'm wrong, it might be a good subject to look at.
December 25th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
If you notice, since 2002 almost all of his playing has been for Independent teams, where I am guessing that he might be playing more as a name attendance draw, rather than because of his talent or chance to be a viable major leaguer again.
December 26th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
Thank you very much for this article. Waiting for another one.