Pete Rose had no choice. In the 12th inning of the 1970 All-Star game, Rose bowled into American League catcher Ray Fosse to score the winning run.
"He was doing his job but it was my job to score," Rose told reporters as he lay on the training table with his left knee packed in ice.
Continuing, the gutsy Rose said, "If I can change the score, I'm not going to worry about getting hurt."
Rose was quite concerned about Fosse. He, Sudden Sam McDowell, Fosse's Cleveland Indians' teammate and Rose had dined at Fosse's home the night before the game. Friends don't stop winners from trying to win.
"We just talked baseball and Sam played the guitar. They're both great guys," said Rose.
After the game, Rose called the American League clubhouse to ask about Fosse. He was told that Fosse was sent to the hospital to have X-rays on his right shoulder.
Rose had entered the game in the fifth inning. He walked his first time up and then struck out in both the eighth and ninth innings.
With two outs in the 12th inning, Rose singled to center, Billy Grabarkewitz singled to left with Rose stopping at second and then Jim Hickman singled center to drive in Rose.
Fosse never went on the disabled list after the collision. He played 42 games in the second half of the season and ended batting .307/.361/.469 with 18 home runs.
The next season, Fosse did fairly well, batting .276/.329/.397 with 12 home runs. It was obvious he was not the same hitter after Rose's hit, although it could be that he played over his head in 1970.
Deadspin reports that the real reason Fosse struggled at the plate and behind the plate took place after he joined the Oakland A's. Fosse attempted to break up a fight between Reggie Jackson and Billy North on June 5, 1974.
Fosse suffered a crushed disk in his neck trying to stop the two A's outfielders from hurting each other. He spent three months on the disabled list. Maybe it was the broken neck, not Rose's hit, that ruined Fosse.
From 1971 (the year after Rose's hit) through and including to 1973, Fosse batted.258/.310/.369, averaging 12 home runs over a 162-game season.
After the broken neck, Fosse batted .244/.286/.334, averaging only six home runs over a 162-game season.
It is possible that Rose's hit was the primary reason Fosse never had the career predicted for him. It is possible that the reason was his broken neck. Or, it could be that he had played over his head in 1970.
All that is certain is that Pete Rose was remorseful he hurt his friend, but if he didn't try to score the winning run, he wouldn't have been Pete Rose.
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