ALONE ON THE MOUND

Behind every broken record is a broken heart. When Pete Rose eclipsed Ty Cobb as Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader exactly 40 years ago, no one stopped to think about the pitcher who served it up, who never wanted to be a baseball player to begin with, who was so conflicted and woe-is-me that he sat down that night on the pitching mound. His name is Eric Show, pronounced like “how,’’ as in how did he become one of the most star-crossed players in big league history? The answer —as the victim of the Rose hit, an abusive childhood and a beanball incident that left him public enemy No. 1 —is a case study of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. A case study of being all alone. Film includes the very last studio interview of Pete Rose before his death on September 30, 2024.