Quotes from Pete Rose

I owe baseball. Baseball don't owe me a damn thing.

Some of my biggest friends are big-time horse owners.

In the old days, you know, they didn't have batting cages. And in most ball parks, they only had one runway to the dugout.

I bet on my team to win every night because I love my team; I believe in my team. I did everything in my power every night to win that game.

Never bet on baseball.

I bet on baseball in 1987 and 1988.

I never picked up my phone and called a bookmaker and bet on a baseball game from the clubhouse. Never.

I love the fans, I love the game of baseball, and I love Cincinnati baseball.

If you have someone equal in ability to me I will beat him every time because I will try harder.

A hitter's impatience is the pitcher's biggest advantage.

I'd be willing to bet you, if I were a betting man, that I have never bet on baseball.

When you step into the batter's box, have nothing on your mind except baseball.

My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more.

There's other ways to make your head and muscles bigger than just steroids.

A lot of these catchers don't understand that they are blocking the plate and they don't have the ball. You're not allowed to block the plate without the ball.

I had an addiction to play baseball.

If you screw up and do something, don't lie about it; come clean.

I admitted I bet on baseball, but I wasn't suspended from baseball for betting on baseball.

There is no doubt that because I am a switch hitter I have one of the best offensive advantages that a hitter can have.

He (Eric Davis) gets power from his bat speed.....it's like he has cork in his arms.

The greatest competitor was Bob Gibson. He worked so fast out there and he always had the hood up. He always wanted to close his own deal. He never talked to you because he was battling so hard. I sure as hell don't miss batting against him, but I miss him in the game.

Are you tall? Are you strong? How big are your hands? You must be honest with yourself or you will end up using the wrong bat.

Back in 1960 at Christmas time, I did work loading and unloading boxcars for Railway Express. That was a kind of weight training that helped me. I weighed about 160 when I started. I began to gain weight and kept right on gaining until I reached 195 pounds.

No one ever asked what was my relationship with Bart Giamatti. We used to talk about baseball a lot as a player and a commissioner, just talk about the game, what could we do to help the game, where's the game going, he was pretty good.