Baseball hit king Pete Rose is the subject of a new documentary series, Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose, premiering on HBO and Max. It joins a biography written by Keith O’Brien earlier this year. HBO will broadcast episodes 1-2 on July 24 at 9 PM ET/PT. Episodes 3-4 will follow July 25 at the same time. All episodes will be streaming July 24 on Max.
HBO Officially Debuts New Pete Rose Four-Part Docu-Series
In the words of The Athletic‘s C. Trent Rosecrans, Rose’s life and career can be summed up as a great American tragedy. Pete Rose has sought reinstatement ever since the late commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti banned him from baseball. Making matters worse for Rose is that the National Baseball Hall of Fame changed the rules for induction right before his name was set to appear on the BBWAA ballot. Nonetheless, he always appears for autograph signings annually during Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in Cooperstown. He isn’t afraid to steal the thunder from Hall of Famers, having published his 2004 memoir, My Prison Without Bars, two days after BBWAA both Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor into the Hall of Fame.
Reggie Jackson, a Hall of Fame outfielder, joins an autograph signing with Pete Rose in Cooperstown. Jackson mentions a lawyer recently calling him and asking if he would vouch for Pete. Rose tells him that they’re going to need someone in the next few years because they don’t have “big names.” Jackson responds:
“You don’t need to go in because you’re a big name. You need to go in because you belong.”
During the second episode of the documentary series, Brennaman notes that the Reds were concerned with Rose’s circle and that he may have been involved with gambling back then but didn’t hear it until after the fact. At the time though, Rose was known for gambling on football and horse racing. In any event, the Cincinnati native left his native Reds for the Philadelphia Phillies. Later on in the third episode, Brennaman is asked if he read the Dowd Report and if he spoke to Pete Rose about it:
“I got a copy of it…I didn’t have the guts to. I didn’t want to know. Did I think that was true? Yes, I did. I didn’t want to be lied to.”
Brennaman says it is the greatest injustice if the Hall of Fame inducts Pete after Pete’s death.
Phillies beat writer Alex Coffey’s initial question is not on camera. The cameras capture her later confrontation in the media room with Pete Rose. Rose’s attorney, Jeffrey Lenkov, warns him not to talk to any reporters.
Quotes from Pete Rose and More
Rose on second chances:
“I thought this was a country of giving second chances. What happened to me? What happened to me?”
Former Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson discusses the rule change:
“When that rule came in play, that effectively eliminated Pete from being considered in a formal way.”
C. Trent Rosecrans, a senior writer for The Athletic:
“He’s more famous for not being in the Hall of Fame than if he were in the Hall of Fame. He’s monetized it better.”
Ted Keith of the Sports Business Journal:
“I hesitate to use this analogy but there’s a Trumpian aspect of him…What always happens in this country is if you go after a popular figure, people rally to their defense because people want to believe that their heroes are telling the truth.”
Pete Rose on sports betting:
“I know people will have a thing to say about it but if you want to know the truth, I think a manager should bet on his team every night…It don’t matter. I’m still trying to win the game. I’m making the decisions. My decisions aren’t based on betting on the game. My decisions that I make as a manager are based on trying to win the fricking game.”
Eduardo Pérez, an ESPN analyst and son of Hall of Famer Tony Pérez, on seeing him in Cooperstown:
“It hurts. But at the same time, I love seeing him. It brings a smile to my face. I love seeing my dad with him. But sad at the same time because he was a major part of my life growing up. That’s the part where still–you ask me about Pete, I’m gonna tell you it’s a biased answer because I’ve known Pete since I was born.”
Mike Schmidt, a Hall of Fame third baseman, opens up on his former Phillies teammate:
“He could have handled the entire reinstatement to the Hall of Fame differently but I don’t know if Pete wants to see it that way. I don’t know if he’s capable of seeing it that way. I don’t–I don’t know how Pete really feels. I’ve never sat down with Pete and had man-to-man with him because you would probably understand what I mean by that. He’s not the kind of guy that could sit and talk man-to-man with me. He’s a strange guy, but in my case related to baseball and his effect on me–what he did for me–was invaluable. I’ll forever be indebted to Pete for that.”
It’s unlikely that baseball will ever reinstate Pete Rose but he is making changes to his life. He admits in an interview late in the film that he “quit gambling” six months prior and has “no desire to” gamble. He didn’t find gambling to be fun anymore and stopped.
Main Photo: Bettmann/Contributor (Getty Images)
