Johnny Bench on Mike and Mike

[cwerph]

What a great sports icon. He was my boyhood hero (I always was a catcher, even though when I was young I wasn't the slow, fat guy I have developed into as an adult. Usually when I played little league they would put the fat kid who could not run behind the plate).

Reminiscing about the Big Red Machine. What perspective - - - "We almost lost to the Red Sox. We had lost the WS in 1970 and 72. We could have been the Buffalo Bills."

Talking about Pete Rose. You can tell that Johnny loves Pete. He has met with him, practically begged him to come clean, get in a program, do whatever it takes to get back into the good graces of baseball. Johnny and Mike Schmidt met with MLB execs and tried to lay out a program to restore Pete. They have given Pete parameters, but Pete can't help himself, he keeps screwing it up. It's almost like Pete has a self-destructive gene that won't let him fix the problem.

We are a forgiving society, but not if you continue to be dishonest. Johnny said (paraphrase), "Forget about the HOF, Pete. Get help. You have a problem and don't realize it or won't admit it. You are the best competitor I have ever seen. You have been my friend and my business partner. Please get help."

As a player, Pete deserves to be in the HOF. It is a shame that he can't get himself together enough to get there.

[WANG]

Yeah, I loved that piece with Bench.

I like how, even though he has a ton of love and respect for Rose, he didn't try to paint the picture as anything other than what it is. He didn't try to argue that the MLB is being unfair to Rose, or that he didn't bring it on himself.

He said what I think EVERYONE is thinking: That if Rose simply admits what he has done, takes responsibility for his actions, and show some contrition. I think everyone WANTS to let Rose back in, but not until he does those things.

[cwerph]

Jul 14, 2015 6:58:08 GMT -5 WANG said:

Yeah, I loved that piece with Bench.

I like how, even though he has a ton of love and respect for Rose, he didn't try to paint the picture as anything other than what it is. He didn't try to argue that the MLB is being unfair to Rose, or that he didn't bring it on himself.

He said what I think EVERYONE is thinking: That if Rose simply admits what he has done, takes responsibility for his actions, and show some contrition. I think everyone WANTS to let Rose back in, but not until he does those things.

I think it's a bit more than that after listening to Bench - - - Pete makes a lot of money, apparently, promoting gambling. If he ever wants to get back into MLB's good graces, he needs to give that up.

As it is probably his main source of income, I doubt that he will do so.

[WANG]

That's true.

[Deleted]

This is strange. I was going to ask about Johnny and Pete's relationship. Johnny was being interviewed by Fox this morning and he completely brushed off the situation. Saying this is 26 y/o, not important, leave it to the commissioner etc.

[WANG]

Jul 14, 2015 8:29:18 GMT -5 @buckina said:

This is strange. I was going to ask about Johnny and Pete's relationship. Johnny was being interviewed by Fox this morning and he completely brushed off the situation. Saying this is 26 y/o, not important, leave it to the commissioner etc.

Hmmm, that is very odd, he was not evasive at all on Mike and Mike.

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2015 8:30:02 GMT -5 WANG said:

Jul 14, 2015 8:29:18 GMT -5 @buckina said:

This is strange. I was going to ask about Johnny and Pete's relationship. Johnny was being interviewed by Fox this morning and he completely brushed off the situation. Saying this is 26 y/o, not important, leave it to the commissioner etc.

Hmmm, that is very odd, he was not evasive at all on Mike and Mike.

It was. They were talking about the Home Run Derby and she changed it to Pete and that was it. Maybe he does not like talking to women about sports. lol

[Deleted]

Pete needs to just go the hell away. I tried to believe him for all those years when he said he did not do it....bit now that we know he did, he can burn in hell for all I care

[buckeyebikerbabe]

I had always heard that Bench and Rose hated each other and didn't even speak off the field.

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2015 10:47:09 GMT -5 buckeyebikerbabe said:

I had always heard that Bench and Rose hated each other and didn't even speak off the field.

That is how he acted from what I saw. It was very unprofessional of him.

[cwerph]

Jul 14, 2015 10:47:09 GMT -5 buckeyebikerbabe said:

I had always heard that Bench and Rose hated each other and didn't even speak off the field.

Bench claimed that he and Rose had been business partners. Hard to believe that they hated each other.

It was clear from Bench's words today that it pains him that Pete has not gotten it together, or at least that was my take.

Hard to fault Bench for bitter feelings - Pete's banishment from baseball coincided with Johnny's hall of fame induction so every interview was something like, "Congrats on the HOF. What do you think about Pete?"

[cwerph]

Holy Hypocrisy - - - Fox's All-Star baseball pre-game show is brought to you by . . . Draftkings.com.

Gambling is so bad for baseball!!!!

Yes, I know it is different for players/managers, but if it was all that evil, one would think there would be no association whatsoever.

[nerk]

Cwerph - seriously?


If so, that pretty much says it all

[cwerph]

Jul 14, 2015 18:42:59 GMT -5 nerk said:

Cwerph - seriously?


If so, that pretty much says it all

They had at least 2 commercials, and some guy won an all-expenses paid trip to the ASG courtesy of Draftkings.

[WANG]

Jul 14, 2015 19:04:03 GMT -5 cwerph said:

Jul 14, 2015 18:42:59 GMT -5 nerk said:

Cwerph - seriously?


If so, that pretty much says it all

They had at least 2 commercials, and some guy won an all-expenses paid trip to the ASG courtesy of Draftkings.

But Draft Kings isn't gambling, it's just paying money into a pool with a bunch of other people trying to pick who is going to perform best in a certain sport.

It's TOTALLY different!

(sarcasm)