In the old days, you know, they didn’t have batting cages. And in most ball parks, they only had one runway to the dugout. – Pete Rose
I get accused of talking about records. But it’s the guys who interview me who ask about them. – Pete Rose
I like Barack Obama as a person. He’s articulate, he knows sports, his brother-in-law’s a coach. He always has the athletes to the White House. But I don’t know about some of his policies and some of these people in Congress. – Pete Rose
I bet on the game of baseball and I bet on my team, even the mistakes I made, I have to take a different look at someone betting against their own team… that’s throwing the game. – Pete Rose
I never picked up my phone and called a bookmaker and bet on a baseball game from the clubhouse. Never. – Pete Rose
I played with 11 Hall of Famers and played against 52 Hall of Famers, and I don’t know any of them linked to steroids. – Pete Rose
Of course, I believe that Mike Piazza is probably the greatest offensive catcher in the history of baseball, only got over 50%. Johnny Bench is the best catcher in the history of baseball, but Piazza has all the record for catchers as far as offensively. – Pete Rose
I am grateful that I live in a nation where most believe that one’s punishment should fit their wrongdoing and that ours is a nation that judges an individual by both what he has done and how he has changed. – Pete Rose
No one ever asked what was my relationship with Bart Giamatti. We used to talk about baseball a lot as a player and a commissioner, just talk about the game, what could we do to help the game, where’s the game going, he was pretty good. – Pete Rose
Some players you pat their butts, some players you kick their butts, some players you leave alone. – Pete Rose
I never gave up as a player, and I won’t give up as someone who wants to go to the Hall of Fame, because it’s the ultimate goal for a baseball player or a football player or a basketball player. – Pete Rose
A team will take on its manager’s personality. If it’s a laid back manager, you’ll have a laid back personality. The players will see that if it’s OK for the Manager to be laid back, then you’ll have a laid back team. – Pete Rose
Willie Mays could throw better, and Hank Aaron could hit more home runs. But I’ve got enthusiasm. I’ve got desire. I’ve got hustle. Those are God-given talents, too. – Pete Rose
I met Gerald Ford. I met Richard Nixon. I met Jimmy Carter. I met Dwight Eisenhower when he was a general. George Bush senior. I haven’t met Bill Clinton or George W. Bush, although I got a letter from him. – Pete Rose
If baseball wants to get you, they’ve got enough resources and enough investigators that they’ll find a way to get you. – Pete Rose
My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more. – Pete Rose
