Pete Rose Recalls His 1975 World Series Performance

Pete Rose Recalls His 1975 World Series Performance

The Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds World Series of 1975 will always be remembered.

Pete Rose remarks, “Hey, that was a great Series.”

He has valid reasons for his feelings. because the result was greatly dependent on his ten hits and forceful base running. And his arrogance.

I spoke with Pete Rose back in July regarding his USO trip in Vietnam with Joe DiMaggio. Rose was modest and self-deprecating. Now, Rose—famous for his lifetime suspension from baseball for wagering on Major League Games—is not best known for those attributes. But as our talk came to an end, Rose’s conceit showed itself in all its raw beauty. That occurred when I told him that, as a 12-year-old Red Sox fan, the 1975 World Series had broken my heart.

“Let me tell you. Permit me to share with you a tale from that series. Alright?” Rose queries.

How could I turn Pete Rose down?

“Game 7 is being played. And Bill Lee has a 3-0 lead,” Rose declares.

To provide some historical background, the Red Sox hadn’t prevailed in the World Series since 1918. There was an absurd amount of expectation among Red Sox supporters that they would ultimately win it all at Fenway Park. With their greatest starter on the mound, they were suddenly leading 3-0 in the top of the sixth.

Rose made a single. Next, Lee maneuvered Joe Morgan to the right.

“I’ve moved to first base. One is out,” Rose remarks.

The next batter up was Johnny Bench of the Reds. Bill Lee could grind him into a double play, I hoped.

Bench struck a ball too short in an attempt to comply. Rick Burleson of the Red Sox, a shortstop, threw to second. Denny Doyle, the second baseman, was hard-hit by Rose, and his throw went over the head of the first baseman.

Rose claims, “I gave Denny Doyle a buttshake, and he threw the ball into the dugout.” Alright? I broke up a double play, so there was no double play.”

Bench moved up to second on the throwing mistake, but Rose was out. Tony Perez, the cleanup hitter for the Reds, faced the plate with one out and two on. Fastball-first pitch from Lee was missed outside.

Bill Lee threw an eephus pitch on the following pitch, according to Rose.

The “eephus pitch” was a blunder that was hurled high into the air to deceive the hitter into believing there was no possibility of a strikeout. For Bill Lee, that was effective. Occasionally.

Perez was anticipating it. Over the left field screen and toward Lansdowne Street, he belted it.

“And, because I broke that double play up, now it’s 3-2, and all the momentum’s on our side,” Rose explains.

The Red Sox lost a lot of money by not turning the double play.

In Game 7, you had us down 3-0,” Rose remarks. But the entire dynamic of that game changed due to a forceful slide into second. We eventually won the game after that.”

Cincinnati won the 1975 World Series after defeating Boston 4-3 in Game 7.

In 1975, I told Pete Rose that he and Big Red Machine of Cincinnati had destroyed my innocent young heart, and all I was expecting was a little pity or solace. Or the kind of deep wisdom Rose had displayed when he related moving tales about the GIs he and Joe DiMaggio had encountered in hospitals and combat zones in Vietnam.

But not right now. And most definitely not in reference to the 1975 World Series. which Pete Rose and many others believe to be the best of all time.

Why was that the best thing ever, you ask? Rose queries. “Because I won that series as MVP.

Just for good measure, he threw in some wild laughs.

Regards, Pete.