Despite Reds’ Worst Slump in Years, Rose’s Job Is Safe, Boss Says

The Cincinnati Reds aren’t going anywhere. Neither is their manager.

Pete Rose has one of the safest jobs in baseball despite the Reds’ worst slump in 23 years. General Manager Murray Cook says the fifth-place team isn’t even considering firing Rose.

“It’s just not a feasible option at this point,” he said during an interview this week. “I don’t see Pete managing any differently than he did before, other than the fact he doesn’t have quite the same horses to manage with. As you know, good players make good managers.”

The injury-ridden Reds aren’t making Rose look very good at the moment.

A 5-3 loss Wednesday night to San Diego was the Reds’ 10th in a row--their longest losing streak since 1966--and their 31st in 41 games. A dozen players have been disabled in four months, leaving the ball club a shell of the team picked as a favorite in the National League West.

Protected by Agreement

Rose is under the protection of an agreement among attorneys while a federal judge considers his lawsuit against Commissioner Bart Giamatti. The agreement prohibits the Reds from firing Rose or taking any action against him on behalf of the commissioner.

Whether the Reds could fire Rose for the team’s losing record is an open question. Cook and Rose’s lawyer Reuven Katz said it is their impression that Rose is protected from firing for any reason, although neither is certain about that.

Cook says it’s a moot point because the team’s collapse isn’t Rose’s fault.

“The players are playing hard. There’s no rumblings about dissension between the manager and the players,” Cook said. “I think the players know they haven’t played as well as they thought they would going into the season. We haven’t gotten too many stellar performances from guys you figure should do better.

“That (firing) is not the answer with this club. This club is not dispirited. It’s discouraged, I know, but it’s not dispirited.”

Although team owner Marge Schott has said she is unhappy that Rose’s lawsuit has dragged on in court, the team is officially neutral in the case. And Rose gives every impression that he expects to be around for a while.

He recently noted the number of Class AAA Nashville players in the Reds’ clubhouse these days and joked that the only thing missing was the farm club’s manager.

When a reporter teased that a managerial change was possible in the near future, too, Rose replied, “Don’t bet on that.”