Reds Give Rose Three-Year Contract

The Cincinnati Reds have signed player-manager Pete Rose to a three-year contract worth $1 million “not so much as salary but to reward him for what he has done,” team owner Marge Schott announced Thursday.

Schott told reporters that the contract was worth $1 million, but did not say whether that is Rose’s annual pay or an overall amount. Jim Ferguson, the Reds’ vice president for publicity, said he did not know what the contract amount is.

Rose, 44, last season broke Ty Cobb’s career hit record of 4,191. In his first full season as Red player-manager, he directed the club to a 1985 season record of 89-72-1 and a second-place finish in the National League West. The 19-game improvement from the Reds’ 1984 record of 70-92 was the best in the major leagues.

“I’m more excited about 1986 than I was about 1985, and you all know how excited I was about 1985,” Rose said at a news conference to announce his signing. “We got the thing going in the right direction, both on the field and off the field.”

Schott and Rose said the negotiations for Rose’s contract were amiable and were wrapped up in a five-hour session last week.

Rose said his old $225,000 contract expired Thursday. He said his new contract does not depend on the number of fans the Reds draw and does not require him to play any specific number of games.

“I’ll play whenever I think I can help the ballclub,” Rose said. “How long do I intend on playing? As long as I can do the job.”

Some critics, including a few Red players, have suggested that Rose should bench himself in favor of using younger players regularly.

Rose noted Thursday, however, that the Reds were 64-46 in games he started. “It didn’t seem like I was hurting the team,” he said.

Rose, a native of Cincinnati, said he and his attorney, Reuven Katz, did not try to negotiate with other clubs.

“I don’t think Reuven and myself ever anticipated a problem, because Reuven and I know how important the Reds are to me,” Rose said.

Rose, who began his major league career with Cincinnati in 1963, batted .264 in 119 games in 1985, collecting 107 hits to boost his total to 4,204.