Manfred letter to fan made Pete Rose smile

COVINGTON – The "Great Eight" of the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine" gathered together Sunday at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center for Cincy Fest 2015, drawing hundreds of fans and a wide array of memorability to be autographed.

Without a doubt, pictures of Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez along with Pete Rose, Ken Griffey, Sr., Dave Concepcion, Cesar Geronimo and George Foster all together dominated the lanes. Some people brought bats, balls, flats, and other assorted pictures.

These players, especially Rose, have signed countless items. It's not often that something is slid in front of them that catch their eye.

Such was the case when Carl Nenni of Kentucky unfolded a piece of paper and nervously put it in front of Rose.

Baseball's all-time hit leader didn't think much of it initially, asking where Nenni wanted him to sign. It was a letter that already had a signature, after all.

But as Rose looped his name, Nenni explained what it was – a letter from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, Jr.

Nenni said he had written former commissioner Allan "Bud" Selig for years about reinstating Rose, and continued the practice with Manfred. Only this time, on April 7, Manfred wrote back.

It was a form letter, Nenni was sure, but it shocked him to receive it. And, after signing it, Rose peered through his glasses and held it out in front of him.

The letter read:

Dear Mr. Nenni:

I received your letter dated April 6th regarding Pete Rose and I wanted to be sure to respond.

I have recently heard from Mr. Rose's representatives, and I expect communication to continue in the months ahead. Mr. Rose deserves a full and fair hearing, and I intend to be fully conversant with the facts of the matter. It is incumbent upon me to be thorough and fair-minded with respect to the handling of this issue, which has generated many passionate opinions like yours.

I thank you for your support of our game and for taking the time to share your view of this matter.

"It made Pete laugh," Nenni said. "And he wanted to read the letter. He says 'hey, he answered ya.'"

Nenni had never met Rose before and said he doesn't typically seek autographs, but this opportunity was too good to pass up – especially since he paid to have Rose inscribe "Best ambassador in baseball" beneath it.

"I don't know. I could frame it," Nenni said.

And like many Rose fans, Nenni is sure what the commissioner should do.

"Give him a second chance, right?"

Nenni's letter may have been the most unique item Rose saw in two and a half hours, but Ohio's Debbie Brawn's request gave him pause, too – a bronze locker tag that looked like the ones used in the Crosley Field lockers that carried the No. 14.

Brawn actually grew up a Johnny Bench fan, but the item was different enough that she had to purchase it and have Rose sign it, along with a seat back from Riverfront Stadium – No. 114.

"I grew up watching all of them," said Brawn, who admitted Bench was her childhood hero. "I brought (the seat) and bought the (locker tag) and thought 'I have to get this signed.'"

Brawn and her mother Betsy had Rose inscribe "#4256" on the seat back.

"It struck him when he saw it," Brawn said.

The "Great Eight" were not made available to the media during or after the autograph session.

After the signing, Rose went to the second floor of the convention center for a Skechers-sponsored signing in which he met with children from the northern Kentucky area who were in need of new shoes. Skechers distributed 1,200 pairs and set up tables for the kids to decorate them as they saw fit.

Rose sat at a table and signed 8x10 action shots, with many small children wondering if the man on the picture was indeed the man signing it.

"They're fans – it doesn't matter how big you are, how old you are, what color you are, they're all fans," Rose said.

The 74-year-old couldn't help but smile a few times when small, waist-high kids looked at him quizzically, or had to get a quick history lesson as Rose swooped his name across the photo.

"I like to meet everybody" Rose said. "Little kids in this time usually know who I am. But that's fine, because you like for parents to talk about you."

It was the last of Rose's scheduled public appearances before he joins the Fox broadcast of the Home Run Derby Monday afternoon as a baseball camp at the University of Cincinnati was canceled.

Rose will be at Great American Ballpark for the first time since "Joe Morgan Weekend" in 2013 and will be able to join Morgan, Bench and Johnny Morgan on the field for the "Franchise Four" announcement by Major League Baseball before the first pitch on Tuesday night.

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