February 23, 2017
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Pete Rose may not be getting into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., anytime soon, but he’ll likely be honored with the Phillies' highest honor for alumni this summer at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies officially unveiled their ballot for the 2017 Wall of Fame on Thursday and Rose, a key figure on the club’s first world championship in 1980, is on the 10-man ballot. The door opened on Rose’s inclusion into the Phillies Wall of Fame last summer when he was honored in a similar fashion by the Cincinnati Reds.
The 75-year-old Rose, baseball’s all-time hit king with 4,256 hits in 24 seasons with the Reds, Phillies, and Montreal Expos, was levied a lifetime ban for betting on baseball in 1989 (and ineligible for the Hall of Fame). But, as with the Reds last season, the Phillies have been given approval by Major League Baseball to honor Rose.
Rose hit .291 with a .365 OBP and 390 runs scored over five years with the Phillies from 1979-83. He went to the All-Star Game in each of his first four years with the team.
Rose left his hometown Reds after the 1978 season to sign a free-agent contract with the Phillies. After playing in four World Series (and winning two) in Cincinnati, Rose’s presence in the lineup and clubhouse helped the Phillies realize their potential in 1980. The Phillies had lost in the National League Championship Series in three consecutive seasons from 1976-78.
The voting for the 2017 Phillies Wall of Fame is already underway on the team’s website, where fans can select their top three on the ballot. First place votes are worth five points, second place is three points, and third place is one point. The ballot will be whittled down to five after the fan voting is through and will serve as the official ballot for the WOF selection committee.
This year’s Wall of Fame ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 12 before a game against the New York Mets.
Here are the 10 former Phillies on the current ballot:
| Steve Bedrosian | relief pitcher | 1987 Cy Young winner with Phillies |
| Larry Christenson | starting pitcher | Sported a 3.79 ERA from 1973-'83 |
| Jim Fregosi | manager | Guided the 1993 Phillies to NL pennant |
| Gene Garber | relief pitcher | Had a 2.68 ERA in 250 games from 1975-'78 |
| Placido Polanco | infielder | A .289 hitter in seven seasons with Phillies |
| Ron Reed | relief pitcher | Had a 3.06 ERA in 458 games from 1976-'83 |
| Scott Rolen | third baseman | Rookie of the Year, hit .282 with 150 HR from 1996-2002 |
| Pete Rose | first baseman | MLB Hit King played in 4 All-Star Games as a Phillie |
| Manny Trillo | second baseman | Member of 1980 team, won three Gold Gloves with Phils |
| Rick Wise | pitcher | Had a 3.60 ERA in 7 seasons, appeared in '71 All-Star Game |
