Pete Rose fans say final goodbye at 14-hour visitation in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI − It wasn't a baseball game that brought fans to Great American Ball Park on Sunday. Instead, it was saying goodbye to a Cincinnati Reds legend.

Hundreds clad in red clutched umbrellas and adjusted their hoods outside the Reds stadium. Surrounding the ballpark's staple Pete Rose statue were an assortment of the items that remind everyone of Rose.

Dozens and dozens of red roses. A Barq's red cream soda can. Baseballs autographed by his own fans and dedicated to him. A plastic-wrapped No. 14 jersey, and a Reds cap signed with a message to Rose, "You're in our hall of fame and our hearts forever."

The rainy, dreary weather didn't keep those fans from paying respects at Rose's public visitation Sunday. The all-time MLB hit king died on Sept. 30. He was 83.

Remembering Pete Rose: Buy the Enquirer's commemorative book on Rose's life

But for locals, Pete Rose wasn't just an MLB great. He was their hometown hero.

"We all love Pete," visitation attendee Travis Neltner said. "Pete's a part of Cincinnati just like every one of us."

Fans remember big Pete Rose career moments

The crowd at Great American Ball Park on Sunday was mostly comprised of older folks, those who could remember when Rose was on the Reds from 1963 to 1978, and again when he returned from the Philadelphia Phillies to play for the Reds again from 1984 to 1986. Seven hours into the visitation, more than 1,500 people had showed up, according to a Reds spokesperson.

The visitation was 14 hours long, a homage to Pete Rose's No. 14 retired jersey number. Though one other numeral also stuck in fans' minds: 4,192. That refers to the MLB hit record Rose set on Sept. 11, 1985.

By the numbers: How Pete Rose became a Cincinnati Reds legend

Despite the recent loss of the baseball legend, visitation attendees were still in good spirits as they gathered at the ballpark to celebrate Rose. Like many people who visited, Western Hills residents Molly and Robert Good remember exactly where they were at 4,192.

Robert Good was watching the game at Price Hill Chili when Rose made the historic hit. Molly Good was across town on the East Side attending a Sting concert when it happened. Riverbend briefly interrupted the show to announce the news to the audience.

A teacher at Rose's alma mater Western Hills High School, Molly Good said it means a lot to her students to have shared the same building with the famed player.

"As West Siders, we're like a big family, and he's one of our family," she said.

Steve Brill and his best friend Jeff Wiener were and witnessed the record-breaking feat from their right-field seats at Riverfront Stadium. Steve Brill's wife, Linda Brill, have had a chance to meet Rose on numerous occasions: They have personal autographs, and Linda Brill met Rose several times when he came to look at Rolls Royce cars when she worked at Williams Ford in high school.

"He would come in often and just talk to the guys and look at the cars, and he was always so, so nice," Linda Brill said. "He could talk baseball like nobody else."

Saying goodbye to 'Charlie Hustle'

A few hours after the visitation began at 7 a.m., more fans trickled into the stadium and entered the queue to pay respects to Rose's daughters who spearheaded the public event. TVs broadcast some of his career's vital moments as people waited in line amid pensive cello music.

Big moments in Rose's career were celebrated, but fans acknowledged he wasn't perfect. He was banned from the MLB for life after accusations he placed illegal bets on Reds games while managing the team. Two years later, the National Baseball Hall of Fame barred him from induction.

But the Reds Hall of Fame could make its own rules, and that's what officials did. In 2016, he became the last member of the Big Red Machine to be inducted into the local Hall of Fame. However, some fans say he should be posthumously inducted into the leaguewide Hall of Fame.

Reds Hall of Fame executive director Rick Walls said that from a fan's perspective, everybody would like to see him in the MLB Hall of Fame someday for his contributions to the game and on the field.

"I know he said to us, being in the Reds Hall of Fame and having his statue at the ballpark and his number (retired) is exciting and good enough for him," Walls said. "I don't know what's going to happen down the road, but I know a lot of people would like to see him in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and we'll leave that up to them."

Fans like Robert Good say Rose should be honored leaguewide but noted Rose had his "personal demons." Linda Brill also said it's time he's recognized at the national level.

"They should have let him in. I think they will now if his family accepts," she said. "Nobody's perfect."

For most it was the good memories that stuck out.

Mike Wood made the two-hour from Westerville, Ohio, to say goodbye to his childhood hero. Now 63, he played baseball growing up and got to see the Big Red Machine play for the first time when he was 9. "Charlie Hustle," as the world knew Rose, taught him some valuable lessons about work ethic, he said.

"My dad always said, play like Pete does – give it 110% every day," Wood said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Pete Rose fans say goodbye to Cincinnati Reds legend at visitation