ESPN Classic - Rose is in Cooperstown, but not Hall

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Sunday, August 5, 2001
Rose is in Cooperstown, but not Hall
Associated Press

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Pete Rose is in Cooperstown!

He's just not in the Hall of Fame.

Rose, banned from baseball in 1989 following a lengthy, gambling-related investigation and thus not eligible for the Hall of Fame, was seen at a Cooperstown motel Sunday after attending a card show the day before.

However, Rose was not spotted at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Kirby Puckett, Dave Winfield, Bill Mazeroski and former Negro League star Hilton Smith, even though the event was open to the public and no admission was charged.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has shown no signs of relaxing or lifting the ban on Rose, so the Hall of Fame has not taken up the issue of whether baseball's career hits leader should be considered for enshrinement.

Selig has repeatedly said he hasn't seen any evidence that would make him alter the lifetime ban.

Knucksie and Maz
When Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski was a senior at Warren Consolidated High School in Tiltonsville, Ohio, one of his high school baseball rivals was Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro.

During a now-memorable pitching duel in the early 1950s, Mazeroski -- then a pitcher, as well as a second baseman -- outpitched Niekro's Bridgeport team to win 1-0, with the only run scoring on Mazeroski's home run.

Years later, after both of the eastern Ohio natives were in the majors, Mazeroski hit the only grand slam of his career off Niekro in 1966. By coincidence, the homer came on Mazeroski's 30th birthday.

As Mazeroski rounded second base, Niekro yelled from the mound, "Happy birthday, Maz," though he clearly wasn't happy at giving up such a memorable gift.

Pataki forgives Maz for HR
While Bill Mazeroski cried Sunday during his Hall of Fame induction speech, New York Gov. George Pataki recalled being brought to tears by Mazeroski nearly 41 years before.

Pataki was a Yankees fan who was crushed when Mazeroski's ninth inning homer in Game 7 won the 1960 World Series for Mazeroski's Pittsburgh Pirates over the Yankees.

"What Yankees fan over the age of 45 will ever forget Bill Mazeroski?" Pataki said. "You may have brought Yankees fans to tears, but we forgive you. Congratulations."

Winfield stays cool
Mazeroski was a bundle of nerves during his very short speech, and Kirby Puckett flirted with tears, but Dave Winfield was cool and polished during a speech that was twice as long as any other delivered Sunday.

"Everybody deals with emotions differently," Winfield said later. "There was a lot of emotion in me and my family. Maz had a long wait to get here, and I'm sure a lot of emotions were welling up inside of him."

Winfield wasn't nearly as calm the first time Willie Mays hit a fly ball his way. Winfield broke in with San Diego in 1973, when Mays was winding down his career with the New York Mets.

"I thought it was going out of the park because Willie Mays hit it," Winfield said. "When I caught it, my hand was shaking. That was a Willie Mays fly ball."

Notes
Among the former Pirates players on hand to salute Mazeroski at his induction were Nellie Briles, Steve Blass, Nellie King, Bob Friend, Roy Face, Gene Alley, Dick Groat, Kent Tekulve, Bill Virdon and Bobby Del Greco. Virdon, now the Pirates bench coach, and Blass, an announcer, both skipped the Pirates-Rockies game on Sunday to attend. ... One of the many signs honoring Puckett read: "The Puck Stops Here." ... The turnout of 40 Hall of Famers was the second most ever, topped by the 46 on hand last year. Among those unable to attend Sunday were Phil Rizzuto, Ted Williams and Gaylord Perry. ... Willie McCovey, who has had several knee operations, attended for the first time in years. ... Winfield pointed out his future may have determined when he was born Oct. 3, 1951, the day Bobby Thomson hit his "Shot Heard 'Round the World" to carry the Giants past the Dodgers in a playoff game that clinched the NL pennant for New York. ... Some Pirates fans began chanting, "De-fense! De-fense!" when Mazeroski, one of the best fielders ever, was introduced. The cheer was long associated with the Steelers' Steel Curtain defense. Before being overcome by emotion, Mazeroski said, "I'm proud and humbled to be going in for my defensive abilities. I feel special." ... Pittsburgh may be closer to Cooperstown than Minneapolis-St. Paul, but Puckett clearly was the crowd favorite. Twins jerseys were in abundance in the crowd, with Puckett saying, "When I went grocery shopping or stopped for gas, everybody stopped to tell me they would be here -- and they were. The Minnesota people were everywhere."