Tonight we ate our dinner in the basement so that we could have our first viewing of 4192, the documentary made about Pete Rose's path to breaking the hit record.
My opinion of Pete Rose the man has changed over time, but nothing can take away from the ballplayer that he was. This is the man that I want the kids to see. The guy who sprinted full-steam to first when the pitcher walked him. The guy who supported his teammates, encouraging them to be better than they thought they were.
Times may have changed, the work ethic of a ballplayer may have changed with the rising paycheck and the fame that comes along, but Pete stood out forty years ago because he was different than all the rest. He played hard, gave every ounce of himself for every game, and when it came down to it, he just loves the game of baseball.
For the kids to have passion for something in life--whether or not it is baseball--it a good lesson to learn.
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