Reds legend Tony Perez weighs in on Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame candidacy stating he want’s it to be something special’: Iconic Big Red Machine holds 50th anniversary reunion
Reds legend Tony Perez weighs in on Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame candidacy
The Big Red Machine is one of the greatest baseball teams ever.
They’re sticking by each other decades later, too.
A day after the late Pete Rose was removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list, Reds legend Tony Perez shared his thoughts on Rose’s Hall of Fame case with The Athletic
Perez was Rose’s teammate with the Reds from 1964-1976, then teammates with him again with the Phillies from 1983-1986.
Rose was banned from baseball for betting on his own team when he managed the Reds.
Just before Rose was eligible for Hall of Fame voting, the Hall ruled that players on the ineligible list weren’t able to be elected.
Now, Rose can go up for a veterans committee vote in a few years. Perez thinks Rose deserves the requisite votes to get in.
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I want it to be something special’: Iconic Big Red Machine holds 50th anniversary reunion
Here’s what Perez said:
I always say what he did on the field is why he should be in the Hall of Fame. But this is great news. I’m happy that they are giving him the opportunity. They can vote for him and see if he can get in the Hall of Fame, because he should be in there.
He paid the price for a long, long, long time and I know he was hurt. He maybe didn’t look like it, but I know he was hurt. Because he loved the game so much and he wanted to be with the fans and he wanted to be at the ballpark. But he made a mistake and he paid for that.
He can always play with me. When I meet him again, I would love to play with him.
The Big Red Machine teams were some of the most dominant in Major League Baseball.
Fifty years after their first World Series title, they’re together once again. Nearly two dozen members of the iconic 1975 and 1976 Cincinnati Reds teams made their return for the Big Red Machine 50th Anniversary Reunion.
“It’s 50 years; we knew it was going to be our last, you know, you’re not going to wait five, you’re not going to wait ten,” said Johnny Bench, Reds Hall of Fame catcher. “I want it to be something special for each and every one of them.”
It’s a chance for these living legends to swap stories. Reds Hall of Famer Tony Perez spoke about the ’75 series and how they came back to win it all.
“I went to hit, and Billy threw me that bloop pitch. I hit a home run, 3-2, and then we came back and won the series,” said Perez.
It also allowed those, like Big Red Machine outfielder Ken Griffey Sr., to reflect on the glory days.
“We enjoyed playing with each other, we had a lot of fun out there, and we didn’t make very many mistakes, you know, because that was Sparky’s pet peeve,” said Griffey Sr.
Three members of “The Great Eight” were not in attendance.
“We miss Joe Morgan first, then Pete, and David is still in the hospital,” said César Gerónimo, Big Red Machine outfielder.
On Thursday, players gathered and walked the red carpet outside of the Aronoff Center. James Marino is a Reds fan who drove seven hours from Huntsville, Alabama.
“It just brought back so many memories as a kid growing up. I always scored games, so it was just great to see them in person,” said Marino.
Hundreds of fans, including Marino, gathered outside the Aronoff Center to see their childhood heroes.
“Just pretty much the greatest team, I mean, they can go against the ’27 Yankees, the ’61 Yankees, and all the other previous teams, but this team was stacked and had hall of famers galore,” said Marino.
For players, like Bench, he touched on the importance of this reunion.
“This is a situation where the most gratifying thing is that almost every one of them has come up and said, ‘Thank you, thank you,'” said Bench.
The players later took part in “An Evening with the Big Red Machine” at the Jarson-Kaplan Theater. The event was hosted by Reds Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman.
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