Archives for August 2009

On Aug. 24, 1989, Pete Rose officially became a baseball outcast. Then-commissioner Bart Giamatti banned the all-time hits king for life after concluding that Rose, then the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, had bet on baseball and on his team. After nearly 15 years of denials, Rose publicly admitted in his 2004 book that he bet on baseball. On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the historic ban, Outside the Lines host Bob Ley examines the legacy through the eyes of Rose’s former teammates Joe Morgan and Mike Schmidt, as well as a Rose adversary, Fay Vincent, the successor to the late Giamatti. The show will also consider how the steroids era has affected perspectives on Rose.

“The thing that made Pete such a great baseball player has always been his downfall, always. He always fights to the end. You know, he thinks he can win every battle and you can’t win every battle. I think he sees that now.” — Joe Morgan, Pete Rose’s teammate with the Reds 1972-’78, and Phillies 1983

“I do not think there is a chance in hell that Bud Selig will reinstate Pete Rose. I hope I’m right.” — Fay Vincent, MLB Deputy Commissioner 1989, Commissioner 1989-’92

Victory… and Vengeance
Outside the Lines piece will debut on SportsCenter (Sunday 11 p.m., ESPN)

Four years ago, Motocross racer Ricky James was broadsided by his friend and fellow competitor Jarred Browne as Browne attempted to pass him on the track. The collision left James temporarily paralyzed from the chest down. His spirit helped him navigate a new reality and he was soon racing again, skydiving and even completing the World Ironman Championship. Despite his many achievements, James was unable to get past the incident with Browne and the anger he felt toward his friend. That forced James to rethink his racing career, his future and his life. Jamie Little goes Outside the Lines in this report about retaliation and redemption.

E:60 — Yankee Boy; Parkersburg

E:60 (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ESPN)

Yankee Boy
Growing up with cerebral palsy, 11-year-old Tom Ellenson could not walk or speak. But his father created a device that allowed him to communicate as a kid his age would, and his “voice” inspired a little league baseball team in New York City to excel. Ellenson’s magic touch with the team got the attention of the New York Yankees, who gave Ellenson and his teammates a day they will never forget. ESPN’s E:60 was given exclusive access to document Ellenson’s day spent with the Yankees, including a ceremonial first pitch different than any other first pitch in Major League Baseball history.

Parkersburg
The small town of Parkersburg, Iowa, was nearly destroyed by a tornado in 2008 and was rocked again on June 24, 2009, when beloved high school football coach Ed Thomas was shot to death in the Aplington-Parkersburg High School weight room by Mark Becker, one of his former players. Compounding the tragedy was the fact that the Thomas and Becker families had been friends for more than 30 years. In a town where high school football is king, Thomas had produced four current NFL players, and the community rallied around the coach after the tornado to get the school’s football field ready for its season-opening game. ESPN reporter Steve Cyphers and E:60 follow the story of a family and a community trying to deal with the loss of their leader, with the opening of the 2009 football season quickly approaching. The report includes exclusive interviews with members of the Thomas family, who speak about their loss, the power of their faith and the importance of embracing Scott Becker, Mark’s younger brother, and a senior lineman on the team.

Daniel Frias was raised in Mexico’s most violent city – Ciudad Juarez, which attributes 1,600 deaths to organized crime in 2008 alone – and at one point it appeared his future was headed in the wrong direction. However, soccer gave him the opportunity to reinvent himself. He now plays striker for his city’s only First Division team and sets an example for many youngsters who might otherwise see violence and crime as their only options in life.

ESPN.com’s Jemele Hill speaks with Charles Rogers, who talks frankly about his drug use and his current attempt to make an NFL comeback.