4192 (4256)

Social Studies teachers love four digit number combinations - 1066, 1492, 1776, 1941. To residents of a certain age in Cincinnati the digits 4192 are held in higher regard than Charlize Theron's phone number. For those of you out there wondering why I'm obsessing over a couple stupid numbers, you would have to understand the legend of the Big Red Machine and it's obnoxiously loud exhaust called Charlie Hustle. Charlie Hustle, AKA Peter Edward Rose AKA Pete Rose AKA Pete, was, and in some ways still is, the embodiment of all things we hold dear in Southwest Ohio. A gritty, hard-nosed, stubborn, talented, engaging, honest, dishonest, flawed bundle of energy underneath a baseball cap who was born and raised on the West Side of Cincinnati to become baseball's all-time hits leader. There may be Cincinnatians who have contributed more to the good of society (William Howard Taft, Dr. Albert Sabin, Carl Lindner Jr, Skyline Chili, Powell Crosley Jr and Geroge Clooney come to mind), but none have been more closely identified with Cincinnati than Pete Rose. Ask a random person in Kansas where P&G is headquartered and you'll get the stink-eye. Ask the same person where Pete Rose is from and you'll see the gleam of the flying C in their eye before they say, "Cincinnati." Pete is the subject of an ESPN (well really just a Bill Simmons/Grantland) "30 in 30" short film. Watch it here! On a sidenote, if you are a sports/TV/movie fan and you're not hitting up www.grantland.com on a daily basis you are living in the Pleistocene Era. Have fun with Barney!!! The Pete Rose short film inspired these questions on my upcoming Government Final Exam:
1. Why do people remember 4192 and not 4256?
2. Should Pete Rose be allowed back into baseball? Explain.
3. Should Pete Rose be a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame? Explain.

Below you will find the scoring guide. Please do not share with my students.

1. I'm not sure why people remember 4192 instead of 4256. I guess its for the same reason people remember George Clooney in "O Brother Where Art Thou" instead of in "Leatherheads". One was a big deal and other just kind of happened. Pete passing Ty Cobb's hit record was on TV more than the Kardashians (Kim & Kanye, Khloe & Lamar, Bruce Jenner). His last AB was in a mid-August game and then he just stopped putting himself in the line-up (Pete was the Reds player-manager at the time). No retirement ceremony or rocking chair for Charlie Hustle!! Pete popped champagne on three occassions - 1975, 1976, and 1980 (he also appeared in the 1970, 1972 & 1983 World Series), but the lasting image of Pete hugging Petey Jr. is seared in people's memory. So 4192 is the number.

2. Exhibit A for letting Pete back into baseball: He is 1239479629239% better at managing a baseball game than Dusty Custer. The prosecutions rests your Honor! (I tried something similar once on a test in college I knew nothing about. Got a B. Professor's notes said, "Answer incorrect, but I chuckled. Above average for creativity") Sure Pete bet on baseball, but he never bet on his own team (at least to lose .. this is unclear in the Dowd Report). Pete cared about winning the way you care about breathing ... stop and your dead. Watch the Grantland short and tell me he still doesn't burn inside to win ... yeah ... you can't. So guys who really cheated the game through steriod use, guys who beat their girlfriends & wives, guys who for years popped pills to improve their focus and play better, guys who abused drugs and/or alcohol can all play or manage Major League baseball. But Charlie Hustle can't .. because he bet on baseball. See Exhibit A ladies and gentlemen of the jury and you decide.

3. Duh!!!! Yes!!!! He is the All-Time Hits Leader!!!! Name another Hall of Fame in a major sport that has excluded a player or manager/coach who was the best in its history. Waiting ... still waiting ... you can't!! Not only was he a great player, he played on the greatest team of all-time (All Yankee fans can STFU. Bring back Murderer's Row and see what happens to them against the Big Red Machine. T.I. and his boys once tried to talk trash to some Cincinnati boys ... go ask Cliff how that worked out. The Yankees would get a similar beatdown. Fuhgeddaboudit!!!). He played in six World Series in fourteen seasons. If you need more convincing, go look at a list of the crimes players already in the Hall have been accused or convicted of doing. There are rapists, alleged murderers, alcoholics, racists, drug users and spousal abusers enshrined in Cooperstown, but a gambler might pass leprosy to the bronze plaques. Pete belongs in the Hall the way peanut butter belongs in the middle of a Reece's cup (back to food .. I know .. it's that time of the afternoon!). Even if he doesn't get admitted back into baseball, to keep him out of the Hall is beyond a punishment. It's vindictive.

On to Pete's favorite topic, the Reds lost last night 6-2 in Atlanta. Johnny Cueto got hit like Rihanna (sorry .. low blow) for the first time this season, and the Reds swingers continued to create little eddies around home plate. Except for Free Chris Heisey, who went 3-4 at the dish. Now that Dusty has FCH going, is he going to continue to play him? Or will Dusty give FCH the dreaded "needs to rest to be fresh" treatment? Inquiring minds want to know!!! Vottomatic came up to base once with runners on base and he singled. The problem was the other four ABs when the bases were empty. Only Chernobyl is avoided more often than Votto when the bases are clear. Peter Edward Rose says Ryan Hanigan - with his .311 BA (compared to Zach Cozart at .246 and Drew Stubbs at .235) - should bat in front of Votto and provide some incentive for teams to pitch to Vottomatic. Peter Edward Rose says the Reds batting order should go something like this: Phillips, Hanigan, Votto, Bruce, Heisey, Stubbs, Frazier, Cozart. His Dustiness would never bat a catcher second!!! Dusty Custer is a baseball man and baseball men know catchers only bat in the seven or eight spot in the order. No questions ... his Dustiness knows and you do not. Well Peter Edward Rose knows baseball the way I know fake bo ... oh sorry. PG-13. Right. Anyway ........ the Reds travel to New York to play the Metropolitans in another two game set. Mike Leake makes an important start tonight against Johan Santana (1-2, 2.92 ERA ... Reds over under for runs is 1). Well it's not really that important because there is no one else the Reds can turn to for a replacement starter! And do not say Aroldis Chapman .... Dusty has already told all of us multiple times how valuable Chapman is in the 8th inning. The only options down in Louisville at this point in the season are Jeff Francis (2-4, 4.17), Brett "the Hit Man" Tomko (0-4, 3.55) and Chad Reineke (1-2, 3.96). Those three guys inspire as much confidence starting a game as LeBron does trying to finish one .. he's no MJ!

Uncle? Okay ... I'm out!