Who Pinch Hit for Pete Rose? Part 2

Pete (do I have to tell you (Rob) Manfred and his ilk will attempt a shortened season, further diminishing baseball’s greatest feature, that of development over a long, true, regular season, but still deny Pete Rose entry into baseball’s “hall”) had asked the name of the only player to pinch hit for him.

It is part of what made/makes Pete a “with flaws (we all have them) great,” that made him scoff at my answer of Mike Lum.

See, while Mike was a nice addition to the eventual title winning ’76 Reds, he was far from a big league great.

“Mike Lum,” Pete Rose repeated, as he sat, while I stood, saying I thought it was to be a tough question.

The player was a Hall of Fame player, Mr. Rose intoned and I knew immediately it was Frank Robinson.

All was “forgiven,” as Pete “slapped me five,” and an Albany writer wanted my story.

He wrote it, but never sent me a copy.

Alas, Pete Rose is still not in that place, where he belongs. On we go.