Pete Rose Day honors legend; field also dedicated in his name

On May 14 -- both at Great American Ball Park and throughout Reds Country -- it was a day to remember in honor of a player Cincinnati will never forget: Pete Rose.

Rose’s passing last September shocked the baseball world, especially Reds Country. The Reds organization held a memorial service at Great American Ball Park in November for fans to pay their respects to Rose.

From there, sights shifted to May 14, which the Reds announced would be Pete Rose Night at GABP to celebrate the life and legacy of the Hit King. And that’s exactly what Wednesday was at the ballpark and around the city of Cincinnati: a celebration.

The day started about four and a half miles west of GABP in the Sedamsville neighborhood at Boldface Park, the very park where Pete played baseball growing up. The city of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC), in partnership with the Sedamsville Civic Association, hosted a special dedication ceremony of the park’s newly named Pete Rose Field.

Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, the city’s vice mayor and event emcee, first welcomed the crowd of local dignitaries, Sedamsville residents and Pete Rose fans along with members of Pete’s family who were in town for all of the day’s festivities. Among the family members in attendance was Pete’s oldest daughter, Fawn Rose, who remembered the park well.

“My dad did bring Petey and I down here when we were kids. So there’s a whole history here of what this meant to him as a kid growing up,” she said. “And the people of Cincinnati, fans of Cincinnati, you're what meant the most to him. He did play every day for you. So I appreciate you all coming out, it's a great celebration.”

During the program, Kearney shared highlights of Pete’s career and spoke of his tremendous impact on the Cincinnati community. Along with Kearney and Fawn, speakers included Reds president and CEO Phil Castellini, CRC president Pat O’Callaghan, CRC recreation director Daniel Betts and president of Sedamsville Civic Association Cindy Bastin.

“There isn't a guy that loved this game of baseball more than Pete Rose. And there isn't a community that loved Pete Rose more than the community of Cincinnati and certainly right here in Sedamsville,” Castellini said. “So this is a long time coming. We've done the things we can do at Great American Ball Park to honor Pete, and we'll continue to do that tonight. But to have this permanent marker in the original home of Pete Rose, I couldn't think of anything more meaningful.”

Later that day, the community was invited to the park for a cookout and family fun. The Reds and CRC teamed up to provide residents with two ballpark staples: hot dogs and Cracker Jack. There were also games, giveaways and a visit from the Cincinnati Red Stockings vintage baseball team.

It seemed fitting that just one day prior, on the eve of Pete Rose Night, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Rose had been removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list, clearing a path for Charlie Hustle to potentially make his way into Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame. For what was already going to be a joyous night, the news only added to the buzz in downtown Cincinnati.

At the ballpark that evening, thousands of fans lined up hours in advance, eagerly awaiting the festivities. Dozens of roses adorned the Pete Rose statue in front of Crosley Terrace with a red carpet leading toward the main entrance. Each fan that walked through the gates was welcomed with a Pete Rose No. 14 replica road jersey, a nod to the road uniform that Pete and the Reds wore during the Big Red Machine’s World Series-clinching victories in 1975 and '76.

No one was prouder to wear CINCINNATI across his chest than Pete Rose, and as Dawn mentioned at the dedication ceremony, he was proud to represent his hometown and his home fans every time he took the field. On this night, 43,585 had the opportunity to wear CINCINNATI across their chests as a final salute to the Hit King. Reds players joined in by wearing special No. 14 T-shirts during batting practice and warmups.

With fans quickly filling up the seats, the videoboards counted down the top 14 moments from Pete’s career in a leadup to the official pregame ceremonies, which started with an on-field Q&A emceed by Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman. The dais featured Reds Hall of Famers George Foster, Eric Davis and Barry Larkin sharing stories and memories of Pete. Another Reds Hall of Famer and Big Red Machine member, Ken Griffey Sr., joined the radio broadcast during the game to talk about his former teammate.

“Growing up in Cincinnati and watching the Big Red Machine, we would go outside and try to imitate the headfirst slide,” said Larkin, a lifelong Red who played four years with Rose as manager. “We played hard, expected to win, we tried to emulate every characteristic that Pete Rose embodied when he represented this great city for this club.”

“Everything that he did, there was a meaning to it. Every time he talked to the young players, there was a meaning to it. I don’t think we would have been nearly what we were had it not been for Pete Rose,” added Davis, who played under Rose for six seasons.

The honor guard consisted of members of the United States Army (Rose joined the U.S. Army Reserves in 1963), and after their presentation of colors, a 14-second moment of remembrance took place. Next, 14 students from Pete’s alma mater, Western Hills High School, sang the national anthem. Members of the Rose family delivered the official game ball and served as the game’s honorary captains before the Reds and White Sox took the field.

Throughout the game, the ballpark’s videoboards featured iconic footage from Pete’s career, along with special tributes and old clips from former teammates and others talking about Rose. Reds manager Terry Francona, who both played with and for Pete, former teammates Johnny Bench and the late Joe Morgan, and Big Red Machine manager, the late Sparky Anderson, were among those featured.

May 14, 2025, was so much more than just a night of baseball at Great American Ball Park. It was a fitting and perhaps final chapter in a city’s love affair with one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a ballfield.

“I want to thank all the fans for coming out here, because Pete Rose definitely deserves this,” Larkin said at the end of the Q&A.

No. 14 deserved that night for all that he accomplished, and the city and fans deserved that night to celebrate and honor a hometown hero.

Thank you, Pete.