Rose, who was banned from baseball for gambling in 1989, has been talking about Manfred, the new commissioner, and his bid for reinstatement for months.
“I’ve never talked so much about a man I’ve never met,” Rose told reporters moments later as he walked down the tunnel toward the field at Great American Ball Park.
Rose was honored on the field at Great American Ball Park moments later. He called it a wonderful moment.
“The only bad thing about being out there is I didn’t get any at-bats,” Rose joked.
Manfred said earlier in the day he planned to meet with Rose in the future about his reinstatement bid. No date for that meeting has been set.
This meeting and ceremony marked a first step in the process.
“It was nice and loud,” Larkin said. “When Pete went out there, the decibels went up a whole bunch. We expected that. … Pete Rose is the hit king. You heard the fans respond. Hopefully, the commissioner and whoever has to make the decision will know what to do, because the man’s a legend. He should be in the game.”
On the Fox Sports postgame show, Rose described the moment in more detail: “It was unbelievable — a humbling experience. These fans are great. I love Cincinnati and I love the fans of Cincinnati. They’ve always treated me like a king. Fans can make you feel special.”
When a reporter began asking former Reds great Frank Robinson about Rose’s involvement during All-Star festivities at a Monday afternoon press conference, the Hall of Famer shot an angry glare at the man until he finished the question.
“I had no say in it,” Robinson said. “If you want my personal opinion, I’ll give it to you when we’re done here.”
But most people involved with the game were supportive, including Reds manager Bryan Price.
“I’m very happy he’s here and he’s going to receive the acknowledgement he deserves,” Price said. “Regardless of all the controversies that he’s been involved in, he’s Cincinnati. He was born and raised in Cincinnati. He was a Cincinnati Red. He was the Cincinnati Reds manager. He’s the all-time hits leader.
“My opinion is he deserves to be here and be acknowledged as one of the all-time great Reds,” Price continued. “We get a chance to hoist him up and say ‘Hey, Pete’s here and thank goodness he is.’ He’s a treasure for the people of Cincinnati, and I’m very pleased that he’s here and will be a part of the festivities. The things that he’s not getting in baseball and the acknowledgements he’s not getting, I hope we can make up for a portion of that with the way he’s treated while he’s here in Cincinnati for the All-Star game.”
Many of the players in Tuesday’s All-Star game, some of whom weren’t even born when Rose was banished 26 years ago, voiced their support and appreciation for his accomplishments.
“I never got a chance to watch him play, but I’ve heard nothing but good stories about him on the field, the way he went about his business and for all those hits he had,” Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said. “What really sticks out is how hard he played the game and I think everybody should play like that.”
Added Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen, "He's a guy who can put his feet up when the day is over and say 'I did everything I could.' He got 4,000-plus hits. He was just a tremendous player. I look forward to him being out there on the field– he should be out there – just to be greeted by his hometown."
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