honestly, i have never put a lot of stock in the pete rose charlie hustle image. yeah, he looked like he played hard on every play, but he did a lot of unnecessary things on the field that are really false hustle and showmanship.
there are a ton of players out there that play the game just as hard as he did, and who have avsolutely maximized whatever talent they do have. david eckstein is at the top of that list for most people, but you also have to include guys like darin erstad, ryan freel, eric byrnes, and tons of others across the major leagues. most people dont realize the absolute dedication that it takes to make it to the major leagues and stay, because it is easy to look at some of the supremely talented individuals that play the game lackadaisically and think that talent can take you all the way to the major leagues (Andruw jones and manny ramirez come to mind for most). they dont see the behind the scenes work that these players put in to get to the level they are at. of course there are players that do not maximize their talent due to a poor work ethic, but there are far more players who make it to the majors and stay there because of their work habits and dedication.
my major problem with pete rose is that the public perception of him has never been equal to his actual abilities. he was a .303 hitter in the major leagues, which is a tremendous accomplishment dont get me wrong, but it is not the indication of one of the greatest hitters ever. he was a very good player, but the fact is he was never the best player on his own team, never mind the whole league. (i know that he won the 1973 mvp, but look at the seasons put up by willie stargell, joe morgan, bobby bonds, hank aaron and tony perez that year. rose pales in comparison) he should not be mentioned in the same breath as the true greats of the game, and that is even before his abhorrent actions off the field are taken into consideration.
just my 2 cents. (i think that you probably get an idea of how i feel living in a city that worships at his feet)
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