CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds held a 14-hour memorial visitation for legendary former player Pete Rose.
Rose died on Sept. 30, at the age of 83.
Notably, Rose still holds the Major League Baseball record for all-time hits, with 4,256.
Thousands of fans showed-up at Great American Ball Park to pay their final respects on Sunday.
“Pete was my idol,” said Reds fan, Matt Arminio. “I played a lot of ball, and like a lot of other kids, I wore number 14.”
The 14-hour visitation was symbolic of Rose’s number 14 jersey.
On a rainy day in Cincinnati, fans placed dozens of roses alongside Pete Rose’s statue, and followed a long red carpet into the ballpark.
There were two banners, draped along the façade of the ballpark, covered in thousands of signatures and notes from fans.
The letters “HOF” – short for “Hall of Fame” – have been written countless times on the banner.
Pete Rose is, inarguably, one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the sport; but he received a permanent ban from pro baseball in August of 1989 for gambling on games.
The permanent ban also prevents Rose from being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
“The commissioner is wrong,” said John Edds, who drove his family to Cincinnati this weekend, from Maynardville, Tenn. – a four-hour trip.
“From what he did as a player, there’s no question,” said Edds.
It’s a topic that has divided baseball fans for decades, but many Reds vocalized their support for Rose at Sunday’s memorial visitation.
“To me, you’re in a hall of fame for your statistics and what’s on the back of your baseball card,” said Reds fan, Jeff Dannenberg.
Rose’s daughters, Fawn and Cara, greeted fans, non-stop for hours during Sunday’s visitation.
The visitation was scheduled to run from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.
