Pete Rose Ruthlessly Roasts Joey Gallo in Postseason Tirade
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After he was acquired by the Yankees prior to the trade deadline, outfielder Joey Gallo had plenty of fans fuming over his high strikeout rate.
Some got over it, focusing on Gallo's power, plate discipline and elite defense. Others, not so much.
Sounds like we can put Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hit leader, in the latter category.
Speaking about New York's disappointing performance this season—a tumultuous campaign that ended with a loss to the Red Sox in the Wild Card Game last week—Rose's rant specifically targeted the Yankees' outfielder.
“That was the worst f--king lineup they could have put on the field,” Rose told USA Today, as pointed out by NESN. “Their 6, 7, 8, 9 hitters were all out-men. They had to have [Aaron] Judge and [Giancarlo] Stanton do something. If they didn’t, all of the pressure was on Joey Gallo. You saw how that worked out.
“How does someone who didn’t play every day strike out 213 times? Ray Charles wouldn’t strike out that much. I just can’t imagine striking out 213 times without killing myself.”
Gallo is under contract for one more season with the Bombers, set to start in the outfield and provide some left-handed balance to the middle of New York's righty-heavy lineup in 2022. The 27-year-old was acquired in a deal that featured four prospects heading from the Bronx to the Texas Rangers.
Rose certainly knows a thing or two about hitting. He racked up a record 4,256 knocks over 24 years. But this criticism is particularly harsh.
Again, as much as Gallo struggled at times with the strikeout bug—he ended up leading Major League Baseball in the category in 2021—he does bring other attributes to the table. The outfielder led the American League in walks (111), smacked 38 home runs and flexed tremendous defense and durability over the course of the season.
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