Ben Goldschmidt

bgoldschmidt@enquirer.com

Pete Rose will step into the batter's box for the Florence Freedom on Sept. 2.

And then he'll move.

Rose will be announced as the Freedom's leadoff man in the bottom of the first inning against the River City Rascals, but then the team will send a pinch hitter in place of the Hit King.

That's not to say he'll do nothing of note. He'll be coaching first and third base for portions of the game.

More from the Florence Freedom:

First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. against the River City Rascals with gates opening at 5:35.

"Pete agreeing to step into the box and being announced as the leadoff man for the Freedom will be a goose bump moment," Freedom General Manager Josh Anderson said. "Fans, bring your cameras because you might not get a moment like this ever again."

All three phases of Rose's career will be honored that night. From stepping into the box, to coaching first base to the retiring of his number 14.

Other Rose events include him throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and the Freedom retiring his jersey in a special on-field ceremony during the seventh inning stretch. The Freedom will become the first professional baseball team to officially retire Rose's jersey.

Rose will wear his legendary number-14 jersey throughout the night.

Fans can get involved in this exciting night in a variety of ways.

In honor of Pete's number 14, reserved tickets that evening will be $14. Dugout tickets are $16 and VIP tickets, which include in-seat waitress service, are $18 for the evening. Please note, regular tickets will not include a Pete Rose autograph. Fans wanting to personally meet Pete or get his autograph need to purchase one of these packages.

All tickets and ticket packages can be purchased by calling the Freedom Box Office at 859-594-4487 or online at by clicking here.

Rose will also meet for 60 minutes with 100 fans who purchase a meet and greet. The $114 package includes hearing Rose address the group for 10 minutes, personally meeting the hit king, taking a picture with Rose and getting one Freedom memorabilia item autographed. Only Freedom memorabilia is allowed to be autographed that night. The meet and greet also includes a reserved ticket to the game and will take place at the ballpark from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Fans also have the opportunity to purchase a pre-autographed Freedom item by Mr. Rose for $55. This includes a reserved ticket to the game.

No ticket vouchers, exchanges, rain out tickets or Kids Club passes will be accepted for this special event.

Rose, 73, finished his Major League Baseball career with 4,256 hits, the most in MLB history. A three-time batting champion, Rose won three World Series titles and was a 17-time All-Star. He played locally for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963-1978 and again from 1984-1986. Rose also managed the Reds from 1984-1989. The 1963 National League Rookie of the Year and the 1973 NL MVP is a member of Major League Baseball's All-Century Team.



