CINCINNATI -- Pete Rose, his stomach protruding and his hair dyed dark brown to cover the gray, hobbled onto the stage at historic Taft Theater on Saturday night and picked up a bat, prompting the crowd to scream, rise and chant his name.
It was as if it was 1985 — the year Rose eclipsed Ty Cobb's record and became baseball's all-time hits king — all over again with the crowd of about 850, mostly wearing Reds memorabilia or personalized Rose jerseys, celebrating as if Pope Francis had walked through the doors.
"Everybody loves Pete," said Dana Buttrick, wearing a Rose jersey personally autographed for his birthday and holding a $200 Rose picture.