Pete Rose gets standing ovation at All-Star game

Pete Rose was met with a standing ovation Tuesday night when he took the field at the Great American Ball Park before the 86th All-Star game in Cincinnati despite his banned status with Major League Baseball.

Rose stood in front of Reds fans with the other members Cincinnati’s fan-picked Franchise Four, Johnny Bench, Barry Larkin and Joe Morgan, all Hall of Fame members except Rose.

“The only bad thing about being out there: I didn’t get no at-bats,” Rose afterward according to the Associated Press. “I wish I had gotten a couple of at-bats. The fans were wonderful.

Said Larkin: “It was nice and loud but when Pete went out there, the decibels went up a whole bunch and we expected that. Johnny was saying he was glad Pete went last. It was fantastic.”

Rose, 74, received special permision from Commissioner Rob Manfred to be on the field because of his lifetime ban for gambling on the Reds while he was the team’s manager.

A recent report also claims to provide evidence that Rose also gambled on Reds games while he was a player, although he never bet against the team.

Rose agreed in 1989 to a permanent ban from the game, which makes him ineligible for the Hall of Fame despite being the all-time leader in hits with 4,256, from 1963 to 1986, and his 17 All-Star appearances.

Manfred is expected to meet with Rose at some point to discuss an application for reinstatement, although a date has not been set.

“The review of the original investigatory material is ongoing. I frankly was surprised at how much material there was to be reviewed. We’re taking a fresh look at all of that,” Manfred said according to ESPN. “I remain committed to the idea that Mr. Rose deserves an opportunity to tell me, in whatever format he feels most comfortable, whatever he wants me to know about the issue. I’m sure there will be an in-person meeting. I want to schedule it at a time when I’m comfortable I have a good grasp of all the factual material.”

Among Rose’s many accomplishments include batting titles in 1968, 1969 and 1973, and World Series championships in 1975, 1976 and 1980. He was the Reds’ player-manager from 1984 to 1986 and continued as manager until 1989.

“I’ve been going through this love affair for 30 years,” Rose said. “The fans are great.”

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