The Cincinnati Reds are unveiling the new statue of Pete Rose at Great American Ball Park, in honor of Rose's induction into the Reds Hall of Fame. The Hit King is in town for the festivities, and Reds fans will celebrate Rose's glory days with the team.
But as much as we want to remember the 4,192 hits or the head-first dives, the celebration comes with the same bittersweet cloud that has followed Charlie Hustle ever since he broke the cardinal rule of baseball and bet on the Reds.
Pete Rose — both the man and the legend — is complicated. He achieved great things for our city, while opening a wound from which Cincinnati has yet to heal. But maybe Rose is a reminder to us that all heroes are human, and all humans are flawed.
Kevin Necessary is the editorial cartoonist for WCPO. His opinions do not reflect those of WCPO.
