Goodbye, Pete Rose

October 1, 2024.Reading time 4 minutes.

One more time, in case you’re missing my point, this is not to excuse Rose.
My point is something deeper than these moralizing cultural tales.
My point ten years ago, and still this morning, is this:

“God has a soft spot for assholes.”

Rest well, Pete Rose.

It Really Happened, Didn’t It?

November 7, 2023.Reading time 11 minutes.

Today’s trip down baseball’s memory lane are two Sports Illustrated covers, from this week in time, 50 years apart.The first is from the first week of November 1975, following the thrilling victory of “The Big Red Machine” over the Boston Red Sox. I don’t need to recount once more, but will of course, how the […]

The Final Lesson of Baseball

November 2, 2023.Reading time 13 minutes.

It is not an exaggeration to say that I wept openly last night. It is not an exaggeration to say that as Dennise, Maria, and I leapt from our chairs, into the middle of the room —all in mutual tears, falling into a jumping bear hug— I clumsily and excitedly grabbed them so tight, it […]

The Dream of a Screaming Baseball Headline

November 1, 2023.Reading time 8 minutes.

Today’s blast from baseball’s past is this screaming headline from the Cincinnati Post, and more Cincinnati Reds memorabilia from the box in my closest. As we’ve covered previously, my Dad bestowed me with a generational a love of the Reds, which developed concurrently with my love for the Texas Rangers. It seemed perfectly logical, since […]

The Rangers’ Icarus

October 30, 2023.Reading time 11 minutes.

Among folks have a certain age in North Texas, saying you were present for the major league debut of David Clyde is akin to what folks say about Woodstock: A lot more people say they were there than who likely were even able to physically fit in that stadium.I think I was actually there. But, […]

What Finally Becomes Of Our Fears

March 22, 2016.Reading time 11 minutes.

Two images are seared into my brain from a long and newsy day. The first are images of bloody and fearful Belgians, fleeing violent bombings. I saw these wordless images this morning, on the 24-hour news channel in a hospital waiting room, as I sat with a church member while his wife had surgery. It […]

Pete Rose Was My First Hero

June 23, 2015.Reading time 7 minutes.

I can’t speak to Pete Rose fairly. I suppose I will ask that anyone who feels like they can refrain from doing so here. I know what you’ll say. I don’t need to hear it. You see, Rose was my first and all-time greatest sports hero. To say I worshiped the guy doesn’t come close. […]