NOTES : Reds’ Thoughts of Rose Have Not Wilted

The Cincinnati Reds speak of him in hushed tones. They know he is one of the primary reasons they are in the World Series.

And yet . . .

“It’s tough, it’s still real tough for anyone to talk about him,” infielder Ron Oester said. “He’s here in spirit, we know that. And we know he’ll be watching us.

“But it’s hard sitting here talking about him, because he’s not here, and we don’t know what he’s going through. It’s sad thinking about it.

“I just wish he could be here, being a part of all this. We all do.”

Pete Rose is wearing No. 01832-061 these days.

Instead of being on a baseball field, the former manager of the Reds is in a minimum security prison in Illinois.

“I still hear people saying the reason we won it this year is because Pete’s not here, with all of the distractions he caused,” Oester said. “That’s bull. Pete Rose had nothing to do with us losing.”

Said first baseman Todd Benzinger: “This town worships Pete, and it always will. What we went through last year was a fiasco, but you can’t blame that on Pete, you really can’t. No one could have managed that team to the World Series with all our injuries.”

Oakland’s Willie McGee, expected to start Game 1 tonight in center field, still is awaiting word about his future. He has yet to be told by the Athletics whether they will attempt to sign him as a free agent. They acquired him in a trade Aug. 29 from St. Louis.

McGee says, if he has to guess, he thinks they will let him go.

The way he sees it, there’s no sense keeping a $3-million player as a reserve outfielder, considering that Dave Henderson is almost fully recovered from his knee injury and ready to return as the starting center fielder in 1991.

“I don’t think they need me,” McGee said. “Dave’s the one who got them there, he deserves the opportunity to play. I’ll just help out. “I’d like to stay, but I can’t see myself being an everyday player with Hendu here.”

Henderson, a right-hander, will probably start Game 2 at Cincinnati, with left-hander Danny Jackson pitching for the Reds.

Rob Dibble, the man who said Sunday he would keep his mouth shut during the World Series, waited all the way until Monday.

The subject was Dennis Eckersley, bullpen stopper of the Athletics. When asked if Eckersley could be an honorary member of the Nasty Boys, Dibble said he would be thrilled to invite him.

“Hey, he’s my idol,” Dibble said. “I watched him when I was growing up in Connecticut. I consciously studied him, copying his delivery.

“To me, he’s the best there is. He’s got everything I want. I’m envious of a guy who can throw a slider and breaking ball like his. People say I can’t because I have bad mechanics, but how can you have bad mechanics when you throw 100 miles an hour?

“He’s even got the long hair I want. We can’t have long hair here, it’s against club policy. But hopefully one day I’ll be able to grown a fu manchu like Goose Gossage. I want to get my own identity. I think I’ll grow a mustache when I go to Japan (in November), and take it from there.”

Said Eckersley: “He can have my mustache, I’ll take his fastball.”

Jose Rijo, the Reds’ scheduled starter in Game 1, refused to say anything outrageous that would incite the Athletics. Then he returned to his locker, took off his jacket and exposed a T-shirt that read: “It’s Over.” Said Rijo: “Hey, I didn’t say it, my shirt said it.”

Cincinnati’s Lou Piniella played in four World Series with the New York Yankees before making it to the Series as a manager this season. Given the choice, he would rather be here as a player.

“It’s different as a manager,” Piniella said. “You have more responsibility. As a player you get yourself ready to play and that’s all you have to do.”

Piniella wears the 1977 ring he won with the Yankees. “It was the first one and that’s special,” he said. “But if we win this one, I’ll wear a Cincinnati ring.”

Jackie Moore, a coach for the Reds, was Oakland’s manager when a right-handed pitcher who had been released by the Philadelphia Phillies asked the A’s for a job.

That pitcher was Dave Stewart, Oakland’s starter tonight.

“I told Sandy (Alderson, Oakland’s vice president for baseball operations) to sign him, but I’m not going to tell you I was smart enough to say he would win 20 games four times,” said Moore, who was fired in June of 1986 after nearly 2 1/2 seasons as manager.

Times staff writer Helene Elliott contributed to this story.