Paul O’Neill grew up in Columbus, Ohio, idolizing Pete Rose and the Big Red Machine, and he played alongside Rose when he began his big-league career.
O’Neill debuted in 1985 when Rose was working as a player-manager, and he was called up about a week before Rose broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hit record. O’Neill, a five-time World Series champion and a five-time All-Star, wrote he considers the night of Rose’s 4,192nd hit as one of his top 10 baseball experiences in his new memoir with Jack Curry, “Swing and a Hit.”
In the memoir, O’Neill shares his memories of playing under Rose as baseball investigated whether Rose bet on baseball.