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CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, May 8, 2020 | 19 SPORTS BASEBALL ‘TAINTED LEGACY’ OF LEGEND Pete Rose alleged to have used corked bat “for 20 years”, casting long shadow over Hall of Famer’s records By MURRAY GREIG [email protected] The 95 games Pete Rose played for the Montreal Expos (now Washing- ton Nationals) barely rates as a foot- note in the 24-year career of MLB’s all-time hits leader, but new allega- tions by a former Expos ground- skeeper have refocused the spotlight on April 13, 1984 — the night the switch-hitting Rose became just the second player in MLB history to reach 4,000 hits, joining the immortal Ty Cobb. Earlier this week former Olym- pic Stadium head groundskeeper Joe Jammer stated in an interview with the Montreal Gazette that Rose used corked bats in his lone season with the Expos, and that “he had been corking his bat for 20 years”. “Pete was too smart to deal with Philadelphia Phillies’ batsman Pete Rose waves to the crowd while Expos equipment manager John Sil- standing on first base after breaking the National League’s all­time verman (to cork his bats in the career hitting record during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals Expos’ clubhouse),” Jammer told the in Philadelphia on Aug 10, 1981. AP Gazette. “So Bryan Greenberg, who worked in the visitors’ clubhouse, did it. He took me into a small room. leader in hits (4,256), appearances There was a door to the left, and (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles underneath some tarps there was (3,215) and outs (10,328). this machine.” Pete was too smart to Rose won three World Series Jammer recalled asking Green- deal with Expos championships, three batting titles, berg what the machine was for, with one National League MVP award the latter replying it was “for cork- equipment manager and made 17 All-Star appearances at ing Pete Rose’s bats”. John Silverman (to an unequaled five positions: first “He said Rose had been corking cork his bats in the base, second base, third base, left his bats for 20 years, but that field and right field. nobody checks them because he’s Expos’ clubhouse) ... Extra bases: just a singles hitter,” Jammer stated. He said Rose had When Harold Baines stepped into Another former Expos employee the batter’s box for his 10th at-bat of quoted by the Gazette corroborated been corking his bats the game on May 9, 1984, 752 pitches Jammer’s claims after requesting for 20 years, but that had been thrown over the course of anonymity: “Yeah, Greenberg did it two days at Chicago’s Comiskey all for Rose, but I didn’t know it was nobody checks them Park. in the visitors’ clubhouse. I thought because he’s just a On the 753rd pitch, Baines end- it was on a lathe in Greenberg’s ed the longest game in American garage.” singles hitter.” League history with a home run Greenberg declined to respond to Joe Jammer, ex-groundskeeper into the center field bullpen, lifting Jammer’s allegations, telling the at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium the White Sox to a 25-inning 7-6 Gazette: “I really can’t talk about it.” victory over the Milwaukee Brew- Corking a bat, which is illegal, ers. involves drilling a deep hole down In 1989 Rose was handed a life- Baines had just one hit and two into the barrel and replacing the time ban from Organized Baseball walks in his first 11 plate appearan- extracted wood with cork, resulting by then-MLB commissioner A. Bart- ces of the game, which started on in quicker swings, better timing and lett Giamatti for betting on games as May 8 but was suspended after 18 further hitting distance. both a player and manager, and two innings due to the American League If the allegations are true, they years later he was permanently rule that stated that an inning could would certainly change the optics banned from eligibility for the Base- not begin after 1 am local time. of Rose’s record 4,256 hits, if not ball Hall of Fame. The next night, Baines’ homer remove him as MLB’s official hits In 2004, after years of public deni- made a winner out of Tom Seaver, leader. He compiled that career als, Rose admitted that he bet on who pitched the top of the 25th and number primarily with the Cincin- Philadelphia Phillies’ Pete Rose lets one fly to complete his 3,630th career hit and match Stan Musial’s games while both a player and a then started the regularly scheduled nati Reds and Philadelphia Phil- National League record, in Philadelphia on June 10, 1981. Rose had to wait until August of that year to set manager. game — working 8.1 innings and lies. a new mark — because a strike shut down the sport for about two months. AP He left the game as MLB’s all-time picking up another victory. Yankees’ Boone Author hits home run with card-inspired chronicle ‘encouraged’ by Judge’s recovery NEW YORK — Brad Balukjian they have to master fear to be suc- fu movies with Templeton, lifting tore open a pack of 1986 Topps cessful. Call it fear, call it anxiety, weights with Ready and desperate- baseball cards, chewed the stale, whatever you want to call it, it’s all ly trying to chase down Fisk. New York Yankees skipper Aaron brittle bubblegum and then fear. There were a few players Balukji- Boone said he is “encouraged” by planned a road trip most sports “And the lessons that they passed an didn’t link up with, but he man- slugger Aaron Judge’s recovery from fans could only dream about. on to me about what their relation- aged to turn those setbacks into a broken rib. The college biology professor set ship was like with fear, it’s some- entertaining chapters. During an interview on Tuesday out to meet every player whose thing we can all benefit from.” He also weaved aspects of his with MLB Network Radio on Siri- image appeared on those old pieces The Wax Pack journey began in own personal life into the book, usXM, Boone said the sports hiatus of cardboard — from Garry Temple- 2014 when Balukjian was sitting in including his struggles with obses- caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ton to Rick Sutcliffe to Carlton Fisk the upper deck of Oakland Colise- sive-compulsive disorder and anxi- has given Judge time to heal. — and see what life after baseball um watching an Athletics game ety, briefly reuniting with a lost love “This time down has allowed has been like. and realized he wasn’t as familiar and reliving moments of his child- that rib, that bone to hopefully “Whether it’s musicians or artists with the players on the field as he hood. continue to heal,” Boone said. “All or baseball players, I’m just fascinat- once was. As a kid growing up in “I mean, it’s almost a self-help signs are encouraging there. ed by what happens when they’re Rhode Island, he followed the game book as well,” Balukjian said, Hopefully, this time down allows done after the spotlight,” Balukjian religiously and baseball cards — “because you can get these little bits that rib to heal properly and hope- said in a telephone interview with boxes of them — provided easy of wisdom from these players.” fully have him part of all this as Associated Press. “I always wanted links to his heroes on the field. The 39-year-old Balukjian, who well.” to do something about those guys I So, Balukjian ordered a few uno- ‘The Wax Pack’ sees author teaches at Merritt College in Oak- Boone said Judge is scheduled grew up with. And I saw the pack as pened packs of Topps cards on eBay Brad Balukjian track down land, California, and is the director for another CT scan later this the perfect device to get a random from 1986, the first year he recalls Whether it’s players who appeared in a 1986 of the school’s Natural History & month. The 28-year-old right field- sample of players from that era.” collecting. The 15-card pack he musicians or artists set of baseball cards. AP Sustainability program, has main- er’s injury was diagnosed with a The self-funded trip in 2015 cost picked included a mix of stars (Fisk, tained relationships with many of fractured top right rib in March, an about $8,000 and took him and his Sutcliffe, Dwight Gooden and Vince or baseball players, those featured in the book. injury he is believed to have origi- 2002 Honda Accord across 30 Coleman), solid players (Temple- I’m just fascinated by didn’t have an advance, I didn’t Despite the overwhelmingly nally suffered on a diving play in states over 11,341 miles in 48 days — ton, Lee Mazzilli, Steve Yeager and have a book deal and I had no guar- glowing reviews of The Wax Pack, September. fueled by 123 cups of coffee. Gary Pettis) and non-stars — called what happens when antees this would work out,” he Balukjian isn’t planning on hitting A two-time All-Star and the 2017 What Balukjian learned is vividly “common” cards in the hobby — they’re done after the said. “But I knew that I was having the road for a sequel when social American League Rookie of the Year, documented in his recently pub- such as Rance Mulliniks, Randy a hell of a ride — the pure road trip distancing and travel restrictions Judge batted .272 with 27 home lished book, The Wax Pack, which Ready, Richie Hebner, Jaime Coca- spotlight.” aspect of it was fun.” are lifted.

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