Pete Rose to Finally Get Jersey Retired

So...did the headline suck you in?

Yes, Pete Rose really is going to have his jersey retired. But not by the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies or any other Major League Baseball team....yet.

No, the 73-year old Rose will see his #14 Jersey retired by none other than the Florence Freedom on September 2nd.

Yes, the Florence Freedom of the Frontier League. (Single A--Independant)

Did we mention he'll be the 1st base coach for the game too?

Or that for $114 you can get an hour long meet and greet, 10 minutes of Pete speaking, a photo op and signed Freedom gear?

Yeah...we're guessing the "Hit King" is in need of a few bucks....

And hey, if you are really a Pete fan (and lots of Cincy folks are), the Freedom play just 20-minutes down south in Florence, Kentucky.

So why not, right?

Florence Freedom announce Manti Te'o Girlfriend Bobblehead Day

((ht: espn.com/rovell))

It was inevitable. Someone was destined to find a way to capitalize...or make money off of the Manti Te'o story.

That someone is the Florence Freedom, an independent minor league baseball team in Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The event, assuming it isn't cancelled, will take place May 23rd and the plan is for the first 1,000 fans to get an empty bobblehead box.

Read the ESPN.com story for more on the event RIGHT HERE

Read the teams press release RIGHT HERE

The team says they'll block a section of the stadium off for fans to sit with their "Imaginary" friends, girlfriends/boyfriends or spouses. They are preparing a "Pretend Kiss-Cam, an air guitar contest and an imaginary food fight outside the Kids Zone.

Okay, props to these guys for being the 1st to come up with this. And in a way, it's kind of funny. But...because we like to raise questions, we'll ask this: What happens if it's proven the kid was taken advantage of? What happens if it's proven he has mental issues? Does that make this funny? Does it make it right to mock someone that may need mental health assistance?

Just sayin'....