On Saturday, the Reds unveiled a statue of franchise Hall of Famer, all-time MLB hits leader, and Cincy native Pete Rose.
Rose himself was on hand to make the big reveal ...
Pete Rose unveils his statue #WLWT pic.twitter.com/puRFVOnpnB
— Derek Forrest (@DerekWLWT) June 17, 2017
And here's a closer look at bronzed Pete Rose forever diving hellbent into the bag (third base, presumably) ...
Immortal. #14forever pic.twitter.com/vmPcEiqL2w
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 17, 2017
Personally, I love it when baseball statues get beyond the batting stance or the pitching windup, and this is one of the best examples of that flourish. Speaking of which, Carol Motsinger of the Cincinnati Enquirer undertook an excellent deep dive into sculptor Tom Tsuchiya's conception and execution of the work of art you see above.
Oh, and speaking of which, the gates to Great American Ball Park opened not long after the statue dedication and just prior to an on-field ceremony. Lucky attendees got this for their troubles ...
Today's giveaway to the first 30,000 fans: a replica Pete Rose statue. Mixed in are 303 statues signed by sculptor Tom Tsuchiya. #14forever pic.twitter.com/SdbSgyyDX0
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 17, 2017
Excelsior! General distaste for head-first slides notwithstanding, of course.
In fitting conclusion, please take note of this winning detail from the day's events ...
I've attended a lot of press conferences before, but this Pete Rose statue presser is the first one with an open bar. pic.twitter.com/fGc1CasNJ1
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) June 17, 2017
Pete Rose, people.