In Cincinnati, C. Trent Rosecrans reports Pete Rose will be inducted into the Reds' team HOF this summer, his No. 14 “will be retired this June and a statue is on the way.” The team will “honor Rose and the rest of the Big Red Machine” during a three-game series against the Padres on June 24-26. The Reds, “who had not honored Rose directly in their ballpark, will now lift the self-imposed ban.” Reds President & CEO Bob Castellini said that the celebrations of Rose “come with the blessing” of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and the league. Rose and Castellini also “hinted they hoped he could have more direct dealings with the team in the future” (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 1/20). SNY’s Eamon McAnaney said Rose should be in the Reds' HOF because “he’s one of the greatest Reds of all-time." McAnaney: "I understand that maybe it’s a hypocritical thing to say ... when you say he’s banned from baseball, but the Reds are able to celebrate him. Let the Cincinnati fans who all love Pete Rose go and look at No. 14” ("Loud Mouths," SNY, 1/19).
MONEY TO BURN? In Detroit, Lynn Henning notes by signing LF Justin Upton to a six-year, $132.75M deal, the Tigers are “known to be appreciably above” $200M in payroll for ‘16, and “could approach something closer” to $210M when it is finalized. That means the Tigers will be assessed a 17.5% penalty -- “something upwards” of $3M -- for exceeding the luxury tax limit for the first time (DETROIT NEWS, 1/20). USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale notes the Tigers have now spent $272.25M this year on free agents, “more than any team in baseball with the exception” of the Cubs (USA TODAY, 1/20). ESPN's Michael Wilbon asked, “Don’t you admire (Mike) Ilitch? He’s 86-years-old. He understands how hard it is to win and he wants to win right now. He can’t say, ‘I’m on a 10-year plan’” (“PTI,” ESPN, 1/19).
GRADUATION DAY: In Baltimore, Peter Schmuck wrote no fans can say the Orioles "haven't been willing to pay top dollar for top-quality players.” But it took a deal like 1B Chris Davis’ seven-year, $161M pact to “prove that the front office and ownership learned a big lesson from some of the damaging decisions that undermined” the ‘15 season. Give Owner Peter Angelos “credit,” as he “decided he wanted Davis back and made that happen” (Baltimore SUN, 1/17).
