It’s Time for Pete Rose to Enter the Hall

Pete Rose

It’s time for Pete Rose to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Finally Andre Dawson made it this year, though it seemed he would be forever overlooked. There will be some who will forever try to keep Rose out of the Hall, but are they really baseball fans?

Rose gave his all everytime he stepped on the field.He’s the all time leader in base hits with an amazing career leading 4,256 hits in 24 years spread out over the Reds.Phillies and Expos. He gave his body up for his team, being hit by pitches 107 times. He played 2b,lf,1b,cf,rf, and 3b, wherever his team needed him.  His lifetime batting average was an impressive .303.

He was Charlie Hustle to the fans. He was Rookie of the Year in 1963, a Gold Glove award winner, MVP in 1973, and World Series MVP in 1975. And clearly Rose was a fan favourite throughout his 24 year career.

It’s a shame that the game continues to deny him what he rightfully earned. It’s time to forgive and forget if that’s needed, and elect Pete Rose to Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame where he rightfully belongs. It’s been 25 years since Pete Rose retired as an active MLB player.

For more on Pete Rose, check out the book On the Brink a tale of two sportscasters,by Larry Resnitzky which is available online at http://www.retromedia.ca.

On the Brink, the untold story Continues to Sell

I had the pleasure yesterday of walking by the giftshop at Red Shores  Racetrack and Casino in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and seeing a lady from Ontario about to buy the book, On the Brink, the untold story, which I wrote. This was a quite an honour for me, so I offered to sign her book. 

The book was purchased as a gift for her son, and she seemed pleased about the purchase. She was interested in the references to Toronto Blue Jay stars of the ’80s and ’90s, which included Mookie Wilson, Joe Carter, and Tom Henke. There’s a lot more about the sports stars of that era in this book, and about the business of doing a national sports talk show on radio.

 It’s not often that two regular “Joes” get to rub shoulders with the stars on a daily basis for a decade. That’s what this book is about. I hope that lady’s son will enjoy reading On the Brink, the untold story.

The book is avaialble online at http://retromedia.ca.

Ex-Expos Vladimir Guerrero an All Star Again

Texas Rangers Vladimir Guerrero

It was great to see Vladimir Guerrero as an all star again.  The Ex-Expos is one of several former Montreal Expos players of character who once gave  Expos fans lots to cheer about.  Canada’s first major league ball team, born in 1969, saw the likes of Ron Hunt, Pete Rose, Woodie Fryman, Gary Carter,Andre Dawson, Bob Bailey, Bill Lee, Terry Francona. Tony Perez,Andres Gallaraga, UL Washington Ellis Valentine, Ken Singleton, and Tim Raines entertain their fans in Montreal. Sadly the club is just a memory now, but Guerrero helps to  keep that memory alive. Did we miss your favourite Expos?

You can still get Expos caps at www.retromedia.ca, and at a great price for this Cooperstown collection item.

 

With the start of the Major League Baseball season almost upon us, do you think Major League Baseball will ever return to Montreal?

Can you name the pitcher and explain the torn Montreal Expos uniform?

One of a Kind

For those of you who have read On the Brink, the Untold Story,and even for those of you who are thinking of reading the book,whick Montreal Expos Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee best represents the true spirit of the Montreal Expos, Gary Carter or Andre Dawson?

Insights on Andre Dawson

Andre Dawson was a regular guest on a national sports talk show I co-hosted while Andre was a member of the Montreal Expos. We rarely hear about his defensive skills, but he may have been the best defensive outfielder since the great Willie Mays. A regular on SportsRap, former New York Yankees’ Tony Kubek, felt strongly all along that Dawson was a true Hall of Famer. I’ve written a few books which give some insight into the kind of person Dawson was – able to play at the highest level every day while playing through pain (these references to Dawson can be found in On The Brink, a tale of two sportscasters and On the Brink, the untold story). They are available at www.retromedia.ca.