Pregame notes: Pete Rose Day

CINCINNATI -- This game has a weird 7:14pm ET first pitch because of a pregame ceremony for Pete Rose, which was planned well in advance, but now feels particularly current because of Rob Manfred's announcement that was likely also planned well in advance.

Something probably undersold in Will Venable's comments about the move to reinstate Rose was that his father Max played alongside the MLB career hit leader with the Reds. What Venable has to say on the matter is heavily drawn from the stories he heard growing up.

"I know it's complex," Venable said. "Hearing stories about Pete from my dad, I know my dad was just disappointed this didn't happen while he was alive, because he just contributed a lot on the field obviously. It would have been cool for him to experience coming out on the field and having a celebration for him. But yeah, all positive stories growing up about Pete and just how focused he was, how incredible he was and his attention to detail, his toughness. So yeah, I'm happy for him and his legacy that the ban has been lifted. It should be a cool night tonight."

Even though Cincinnati native Andrew Benintendi had a lot less to say on the matter, he did wind up unintentionally summing up the counterargument to all who might say that Rose's personal indiscretions and the existential threat to the sport's integrity that his rampant gambling posed, make a night in his honor more than a little gauche.

"Guy could hit. So it's a lot of hits." Benintendi said.

As true today as it was in 1986. In seriousness, he did say slightly more.

"I don't have much thought on it, to be honest.
I mean, that's not for me to decide. Obviously, he's meant a great deal to this city. So, I mean, as a guy from Cincinnati, I'm happy that [they] made a decision like that."

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Benintendi was out with trainer James Kruk running sprints earlier in the afternoon as he works his way back from a left calf strain. He doesn't believe his injury is related to the left adductor strain that led to his earlier injured list stint. But if you have a clear idea if he'll need a rehab assignment before he returns from the IL, you're more astute than me.

"If it was up to me, I'd be back right now," said Benintendi, who has been able to hit during this process. "I just got done swinging now, something I'll do a lot in the next few days, too. So again, it's a few days away, if not a little longer, so we'll see."

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Contrary to popular belief, Andrew Vaughn has not been thrown out at the plate "a zillion times" this season, nor five times. It's been three times.

However, three times does have him tied with Eugenio Suárez for the most times thrown out at home in MLB. Venable didn't make some sort of declaration about whether they'll ever run the contact play with Vaughn again, but said it's been the topic of some internal discussion.

"We've taken something from each one of those scenarios, where it may be if there's something we haven't addressed in the past, to give guys cues on some of those weirder plays. We've learned something from it and we've talked about it and grown from it. Feel bad for Vaughny because they're really tough plays and tough plays to coach because there's so much nuance involved in them. But yeah, it has nothing to do with his speed or where he's at with that. It's just kind of tough plays that we can do a better job of coaching and he can do a better job of executing."

First pitch: White Sox at Reds

TV: CHSN

Radio: ESPN 1000 AM

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