WABASH – Whether you’re a fan of Pete Rose, the Cincinnati Reds, or neither, J.T. Stewart is confident you will enjoy “4192: An Evening With Pete Rose LIVE!” The 90-minute show, which walks the audience through the legendary career of the baseball icon and features him on stage, will be at the Honeywell Center in Wabash Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the show range in price from $24 to $75 and can be purchased by visiting www.honeywellcenter.org or by calling 260-563-1102. “This is a must-see show,” said Stewart, the co-producer who is also part of the show. “It takes you back to an era when baseball was truly America’s past time, back when baseball was the greatest game in America.” Born Peter Edward Rose on April 14, 1941, baseball’s all-time hits leader is also known as “Charlie Hustle” and is certainly remembered for his head-first slides. Rose, who broke Ty Cobb’s record of 4,191 hits in 1985, finished his career with 4,256 hits. He is also Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053) and outs (10,328). Rose played in the Majors from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989. He played for the Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos, and managed the Reds. In 1989, amidst accusations of gambling on MLB games while managing the Reds, Rose agreed to permanant ineligiblity from baseball. In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame voted to exclude “permantley ineligible” players from induction. In 2004, Rose admitted to betting on baseball games, including the Reds. All aspects of Rose’s legendary career – including his ban from the Hall of Fame, as well as his relationships with commissioner Bud Selig and the late Marge Schott, the highly controversial owner of the Reds – are covered in the show. “The show definitely takes you back in time,” said Stewart. “It takes you from when Pete was a kid to the time he broke Ty Cobb’s record. He talks about Bud Selig and Marge Schott and Hank Aaron and The Big Red Machine. He talks about every thing.” Stewart described Rose as “hilarious” and said that the baseball icon is a lot more caring than people realize. “You come to this show, you will laugh and you will cry,” said Stewart. “There’s a lot of emotions the audience will feel. Pete’s stories will make you laugh, and you’ll feel the emotion of him breaking Ty Cobb’s record.” Stewart said the show is treated like a baseball game. There will be a ceremonial first pitch. The national anthem will be sung, as will “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” While Rose tells stories, the audience will see corresponding pictures and videos on a large screen. Stewart said the audience will also have a chance to ask questions. “This is a must-see show for baseball fans,” said Stewart. “You don’t have to be a fan of the Reds or Pete Rose.”
