Pete Rose is clearly not a fan of one of the newest Yankees.
After the Bronx Bombers were bounced in the AL Wild Card game by the Red Sox, the MLB’s all-time hit leader launched into a tirade against the Yankees – which quickly turned into a tirade against trade-deadline acquisition Joey Gallo.
“That was the worst f–king lineup they could have put on the field,” Rose said to USA Today, per 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.”
The Yankees traded for Gallo from the Rangers at the deadline, sending four prospects to Texas in exchange for the slugger. While he did hit 13 home runs in the 58 games he was in New York, he hit .160 in 188 at bats. In the Wild Card game, he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the Yankees’ 6-2 loss to the Red Sox.
Gallo is under contract for another year before he hits unrestricted free agency in 2022. His contract only costs $9.5 million next season and his lefty bat adds variety to the Yankees’ righty-heavy lineup.
Rose knows a thing or two about hitting in the postseason – though he is still banned from the Hall of Fame since he was caught betting on games while he was a/manager.