Pete Rose

Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of Pete Rose's banishment from baseball.

It's a sad, pathetic and often annoying saga that seems like it has been going on for 300 years and, unfortunately, will never end.

The Cincinnati Reds have had their fair share of National League MVPs over the years – 10 players have won the award 12 times.

When you watch a biography of Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, you expect to see lots of World Series highlights available for years on DVD.

That's all part of BENCH, a terrific 90-minute MLB Network Presents film premiering 8 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 30 on the MLB Network. But the stars of the show are Bench, now 71, being a single father to sons Justin, 12, and Josh, 9, in their Florida home.

BENCH also will bring back a flood of memories for Big Red Machine fans with the sights and sounds from Riverfront Stadium, spring training, the Reds' dugout, and Bench's foray from behind the mask into the entertainment world with Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Hee Haw, David Letterman and his own TV show.

Even for a third-generation Reds fan, it was an overwhelming task: Picking the 50 greatest seasons, players, games and personalities from 149 years of Cincinnati Reds' history.

"Fifty was an impossible task. We could have made this the Big 100 very easily," admits Chad Dotson, founder of the Redlegs Nation website and co-author of the new book, The Big 50: The Men and Moments That Made The Cincinnati Reds.

You would be hard pressed to find a bigger Cincinnati Reds fan than yours truly.

Don't cry to me about their present record; that's irrelevant to my love for the team I have rooted for since I was a child, through good times and bad.

"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek posted a YouTube video Thursday to tell fans of the show he'll be "back in the studio taping more 'Jeopardy!' programs very, very soon."

On this date in TV Kiese history 50 years ago: Dayton radio talk show host Phil Donahue revolutionized TV with the debut of the "Phil Donahue Show" live on Dayton's Channel 2 on Nov. 6, 1967.

Donahue created a new genre - the daytime TV talk show - discussing current news topics and controversies.

Fifty years ago today, Tony Perez hit the game-winning home run in the 38th All-Star Game in Anaheim Stadium off Catfish Hunter for the National League's 2-1 victory on July 11, 1967.

Perez, 25, in his third full season with the Reds, was named the All-Star Game MVP.

When Pete Rose and the Big Red Machine returned to Great American Ball Park Saturday, so did public address announcer Joe Zerhusen.

DVR Alert! Fox Sports Ohio will replay Pete Rose's record-breaking hit No. 4,219 game at 7 p.m. Monday.

A replay of the entire game from Sept. 11, 1985, will lead off FSO's special coverage of Rose being inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame and having his No. 14 retired during the Reds-Padres series June 24-26 at Great American Ball Park.

Update on Saturday, May 28:  Marty Brennaman told Enquirer Reds writer C. Trent Rosecrans Friday night in Milwaukee: "I will be back next year.... After that, then I’ll take stock on a year-by-year basis, essentially."  

Original post Thursday May 26: All the deserved fanfare about Vin Scully's retirement makes me wonder: Might Marty Brennaman retire at the end of this season too? Yes, he could.

When I saw Reds President Bob Castellini recently, and asked him if Marty will return next season, Castellini replied in four words: "It's up to Marty."

Producers of the documentary about the Big Red Machine “Great 8” are “exploring a few different options” after failing to fund the film on Kickstarter, the online crowd-funding site.

Only $19,580 was pledged toward the $500,000 goal during a 51-day on-line campaign, which ended Jan. 15. Just 79 people offered financial support for the “GR8.” Under Kickstarter rules, the producers do not get any money, because the goal was not met.

Update 2:20 p.m.:

Reds legend Pete Rose thanked Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred for the opportunity to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.  “Regardless of what you may have read, or what you believe in, I got along with the commissioner.  He was a great guy. He didn’t rule the way I wanted him to rule, but that’s life. For him to go out of his way to let us do this, I pat him on the back,” Rose says.

Update  4:25 p.m.: Pete Rose's attorney Ray Genco says Rose will address the media at 2 p.m. Tuesday. In a statement, Genco says "We are disappointed by the decision of Commissioner Manfred that was announced this morning. We are reviewing the ruling with Pete and his family."

Some Ohio lawmakers say the greatest player in major league baseball has been barred from the sport for far too long. Legislators are putting forth bills in both the Ohio House and Senate to try to get Pete Rose re-instated into the sport.

Pete Rose has been banned from baseball for life because he bet on games as the Manager of the Reds. Democratic State Senator Cecil Thomas from Cincinnati says the man often called “Charlie Hustle” is simply one of the best players in the history of the game and deserves to be reinstated.

Pete Rose has renewed his request to be allowed into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Pete Rose has officially petitioned Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred for reinstatement. Manfred said he will consider the request "on its merits."

ESPN reports:

Government offices and banks were closed for Presidents' Day.  But the Reds Hall of Fame was still open, and education manager Ken Freeman says American Presidents have had a lengthy connection with Major League Baseball.

The first sitting President to attend a baseball game was North Bend, Ohio native Benjamin Harrison, in 1892.  (The Reds beat the Senators, 7-4, in 11 innings.)