The death of baseball’s all-time hit king hit close to home for Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Pete Rose, who died Monday at age 83, was teammates with Boone’s father, Bob Boone, on the Philadelphia Phillies from 1979-81, and the families remained close over the years.
“That hit hard last night,” Aaron Boone said Tuesday before the Yankees’ pre-ALDS workout in the Bronx.
“He came to Philly in ’79, obviously won the World Series in ’80. My brother and [Pete Rose] Jr. were the same age, so my brother was staying over at his house all the time.”
Rose, whose 4,256 hits remain a record but who was banned by MLB for betting on baseball, died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner said Tuesday.
His son was also a professional baseball player, primarily as a minor leaguer, but he spent a few weeks in the majors with the Reds in 1997, the same year Aaron Boone made his MLB debut with Cincinnati.
“I played with him when he got called up for his stint in the big leagues,” Rose said of the younger Rose. “Still in touch with him over the years.”
Boone said he had stayed in touch with the elder Rose, too.
“I would talk to him probably once or twice a year,” Boone said. “Sad day for baseball, of course, but for me personally because, even going back to my childhood, he was an important figure for my family.”
Rose was a 17-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion during his 24 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Phillies and Montreal Expos. Known for his all-out style of play that earned him the nickname “Charlie Hustle,” Rose won his first two championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976.
He was banned in 1989, however, for gambling on the sport. Rose was the Reds’ manager at the time. Rose initially denied the allegation but later admitted in a 2004 autobiography that he bet on baseball, including for the Reds to win.
He also faced controversy in 2017 when an allegation emerged from an unidentified woman who claimed she had a sexual relationship with Rose in the 1970s, when she was a minor. Rose said he believed that she was 16, which was the age of consent in Ohio, and he was never charged.
His death was met with an outpouring of tributes, including from former Phillies teammate Mike Schmidt, who said Rose “taught me to enjoy the game, perhaps the advice that I needed the most.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Boone did not have an update on the ALDS status of Anthony Rizzo, who suffered two broken fingers when he was plunked on the right hand Saturday.
The first baseman continues to receive treatment, and the Yankees have not ruled out putting him on their roster for the ALDS, which begins Saturday.
“We’re not testing anything yet, at least for a couple more days,” Boone said.
In a new development, third baseman Jon Berti took grounders at first base during Tuesday’s workout, as did rookie Ben Rice and utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera. Rizzo, with his injured hand in a split, stood near first during the drills.
TO THE LEFT
The Yankees’ other positional question mark comes in left field, where Boone said he had not decided who will start Game 1.
The contenders are Alex Verdugo, an above-average defender with an .647 OPS this season, and rookie Jasson Domínguez, the Yankees’ 21-year-old top prospect who made multiple defensive miscues after being called up last month.
“I have thoughts in my mind, but we’ll let that unfold,” Boone said.
STERLING SELECTION
John Sterling is a nominee for the 2025 Ford C. Frick Award, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
The other nine finalists for the honor, which recognizes a broadcaster’s excellence, include Mets play-by-play voice Gary Cohen.
Sterling, 86, retired from his WFAN play-by-play job in April after 36 seasons but returned for the final week of the regular season and will continue to call Yankees games throughout their postseason run.
