Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Rose's autograph worth the wait
By Michael D. Clark mclark@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It may have been Pete Rose behind glass, but it was still Cincinnati's most beloved baseball player, and thousands lined up on Cinergy Field's plaza for hours Monday at the chance of getting the “Hit King's” autograph.
A sold-out Cinergy Field crowd said farewell to the stadium and thanks for the memories during a Monday evening softball game featuring. Rose and other former major league baseball All-Stars.
Adding to the event was the giveaway of Pete Rose bobblehead dolls for all those entering the stadium and a chance for an All-Star autograph.
Rose was stationed behind one of the six ticket counter windows at the stadium's West Ticket office, but the throngs who waited in line from as early as 9 a.m. didn't know which side or which ticket window the former Red great would sign from.
Finally at 3:30 p.m., the names of the former players - including Philadelphia Phillie Mike Schmidt and Chicago Cub Ryne Sandberg - were posted, and thousands who had chosen the Pete Rose side let out a roar.
“Yes! Yes! I'm going to get it!” shouted Cathy Lendl of Green Hills, who had been in line since noon. “I've never done this before, but I just wanted to get close to him,” she said adding that interacting with the former major league baseball All-Star, even through a ticket window, was a thrill.
“Listen to the way they are chanting,” Ms. Lendl said over the choruses of “Pete! Pete!” Even though there was plenty of star power behind the other ticket windows “if it was just Pete here, everybody would still be here anyways.”
Moments after getting Rose's signature on his program, 9-year-old Dylan Simkin was beaming along with his uncle, Mike Simkin, of Finneytown, who had waited in line for more than three hours.
Mr. Simkin said he felt like the little boy of the two, having idolized “Charlie Hustle” while growing up.
“He taught a whole generation how to hustle. I just told him "Thanks for leaving it all on the field for us, and God bless you,”' he said.
The late afternoon frenzy centered around the autographs as the lines to each side of the ticket office snaked around and through the center of the stadium plaza.
Cincinnati Police officers were stationed throughout the crowd, and inside the stadium gates next to stacks of bobblehead dolls. Officers reported no problems.
Most of the thousands in line knew it was a gamble that they would make it to the players before the 5 p.m. ending time of the autograph session.
“But the gamble is really worth it,” said Jerry Graham of Middletown, who took off from work Monday for a chance to see Rose up close and to attend the game.
Delores Mitten, who drove in from Arlington, Va., days ago especially for the event, was bubbling after meeting her idol.
“He has done so much for this city and for baseball,” she said. “It's so unfair what baseball is doing to him. He should be in the Hall of Fame.”
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Rose's autograph worth the wait
