Red Reposter: Pete Rose wishes he had different regrets

CBS Pittsburgh: Pete Rose: ‘I Should Have Picked Alcohol Or Beat Up My Wife’

The Hit King was on the radio in Pittsburgh yesterday talking about the Biogenesis affair and his own legacy. To Rose's credit, he doesn't seem to be interested in vilifying Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, or anyone else:

[Rodriguez] loves this history of the game. I think he'd be the first one to tell you he screwed up. And if he doesn't, he's not telling you the truth. My advice to anybody listening is don't do like I did, don't do like Alex did or do what Braun did. Don't do like any of those guys did. Don't lie if you are confronted about something that you made a mistake. The faster you come clean the better of [sic] you are going to be.

Pete Rose also believes that if he had made a different mistake, then baseball would still accept him. In some ways, I certainly think he is right. If Rose had used recreational drugs or sports drugs, then he could probably still coach or manage in the game. Mark McGwire admitted to using steroids, and he's the hitting coach for the Dodgers. Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine while managing the Rangers, and he still has his job. Having said that, I don't see Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, or Rafael Palmeiro going into the Hall of Fame anytime soon. Would the Pete Rose story be a happier one if he had committed a lesser transgression and was still in the dugout? Yes, I think so, but I don't think it's a given he'd be in the Hall of Fame either. (Paul Molitor's struggle with cocaine didn't keep him out of the Hall of Fame, though.)

McCoy: Ludwick ready to carry the load

There is pressure on Ryan Ludwick to come back in midseason form to give the up-and-down Reds offense a needed boost. Hal McCoy caught up with Ludwick on Saturday, and the veteran leftfielder understands the expectations: "I don't know if [the expectation]'s unfair, I wouldn't say that's unfair. I helped this team last year and that's what they're expecting this year." I don't think that Ludwick could have reacted to the situation any better, but I do think it's unfair for fans to expect him to post a 125 OPS+ this season as an encore. Ludwick is 35 and still recovering from a very serious shoulder injury. There's no reason to set yourself up for disappointment. Frankly, I'll be happy if Ludwick looks comfortable on the field and tunes up his performance by season's end.

Hardball Talk: We must put a stop to Adam Rosales abuse

Craig Calcaterra recounts the saga of the former Reds utility man. Oakland didn't have room for Rosales, but wanted to stash him in triple-A for depth. Unfortunately for the A's, Rosales is out of options, so Oakland designated him for assignment earlier this month. The Rangers claimed him off of waivers, but Texas didn't need him at the major league level either, so the team also DFA'd Rosales. Like Oakland, Texas was looking to add some depth for the playoff race. However, before Texas could assign him to a minor league club, Oakland claimed him off of waivers. Rosales traveled to Toronto for Oakland's series against the Blue Jays. He made one plate appearance in Friday's game, and then Oakland designated him for assignment, again. "Checkmate, Daniels," thought Oakland GM Billy Beane, but the Rangers claimed him off of waivers again yesterday morning. According to Calcaterra, the frequent transactions have Rosales' personal life all out of sorts: "As of Saturday his car and all of his possessions were in Texas, his wife was in Oakland and he was in Toronto with the A's."

living the dream: Longest Scoreless Appearance Streaks in Reds History

This has snuck up on me a bit, but J.J. Hoover has been on a roll lately. Hoover hasn't allowed a run in his last 21 appearances, which is tied for the fourth longest streak in Reds history. During his stretch, Hoover has struck out 27 and only walked seven. The opposition is hitting a Cairene .135/.207/.189 against him.

The Hardball Times: Card Corner: 1973 Topps: Leo Cardenas

Bruce Markusen uses Leo Cardenas' 1973 card as a jumping off point for a recap of the shortstop's career. Cardenas played for the Reds from 1960 to 1968 and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1981.

CSNPhilly.com: Rehab start for Halladay; Howard's season over?

Philadelphia continues to get its money's worth on Ryan Howard's five-year, $125 million deal.