Thousands of fans descended on Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on a rainy Sunday to pay their respects to Pete Rose, the Reds legend who died on September 30 at the age of 83.
The visit for Rose was arranged by the Reds and Rose’s daughters, Fawn and Kara. Beginning at 7 a.m. and open to the public until 9 p.m. (2 p.m. in honor of Rose’s No. 14), fans began lining up outside the ballpark at 4 a.m.
This is the line at Great American Ball Park, where fans can pay their respects to Pete Rose.
Please note that this visit lasts 14 hours. This has remained stable. pic.twitter.com/mRVDTBUERI
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) November 10, 2024
Admirers didn’t go to the ballpark just because Rose is the all-time leader with 4,256 bats or because he was part of three World Series championship teams as part of the vaunted “Big Red Machine” of the 1970s.
Rose was also a hometown hero to many who also grew up in Cincinnati, representing someone who achieved success through hard work, determination and hustle. His lifetime ban from baseball, which prevented him from being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, made no difference to them.
“We all love Pete,” one attendee told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Pete is part of Cincinnati, just like all of us.”
Seven hours after the event, more than 1,500 people had attended, according to a Reds spokesperson. Fans were able to pass by an urn containing Rose’s ashes and a table displaying various memorabilia from his career, in addition to the jacket he received when he was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. A video of Rose’s many highlights played on the video boards at the ballpark.
“I know he said to us when he was in the Reds Hall of Fame and had his statue at the ballpark and his number [retired] It’s exciting and good enough for him,” Rick Wells, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame, told the Enquirer. ‘I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I know a lot of people would like that. If we see him in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, we’ll leave that up to them.”
Fans placed several items at the Rose statue outside the ballpark, including red roses, autographed baseballs, No. 14 jerseys and Reds caps.
“We are deeply moved by the overwhelming love and support from the people of Cincinnati, the entire baseball community and fans around the world as we mourn the loss of our beloved father, grandfather and brother, Pete Rose,” Fawn Rose said in a statement statement, via the Associated Press.
The Reds will also honor Rose (again paying tribute to Rose’s jersey number) next season with a special “Pete Rose Day” on May 14. The first pitch for the game against the Chicago White Sox is at 7:14 PM