Pitchforkmedia has revealed that the extremely persistent and productive indie rocker Bob Pollard will score the film of legendary, scandalous baseball player Pete Rose. The film, titled “4192: The Crowning of the Hit King,” will follow Rose’s controversial career as an amazing baseball player and coach. Pollard will use instrumental versions of pre-existing songs, with an all new song being used for the main theme which he describes as being “five minutes long and building up to a big crescendo.” The man is no stranger to sports, being a total jock in high school and recently was added to his high school’s sports Hall of Fame. When questioned about Rose’s disqualification into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Pollard replies “I think [he] got a raw deal… He did what he did but his accomplishments stand for themselves. If I were Pete Rose, I’d be like, ‘Fuck your Hall of Fame.’ But obviously it’s important to him, so he should be in it if that’s what he wants.”
For those who don’t know who Rose was, he was a player from 1963-1986, and managed his first and final playing team, the Cincinnati Reds, from 1984-1989. He was an extremely hard-working player, nicknamed “Charlie Hustle,” and became one of the most versatile athletes in the game. It was discovered that Rose had been betting on games while managing and playing for the Reds, which lead to his being banned from baseball and disqualified for eligibility in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The title of the film refers to the 4192nd hit of his career (not the number of albums Pollard has released), thus destroying Ty Cobb’s hit record, with Rose later burying it after retiring with 4,256 hits. The film will be directed by Terry Lukemire, who is no stranger to this kind of film, as his resume his filled with movies about sports and people who yearn for fame including “Rebound: A Basketball Story” and “King of Karaoke.”
A little digging found the trailer on the film’s official site. Judging by the trailer, those not already knowledgeable or interested in Rose’s story, probably won’t find the film all that compelling. The style is very straight-forward, with photos and videos over interviews. One recent film to use this simple technique successfully was “Tyson,” as the ex-boxer told the story of his life in series of candid interviews. During the trailer, there are hilariously awkward shots of the now-aged Pete Rose in a black room, with a baseball bat, grimacing at the camera. He even attempts to hit it at one point. Uh. The trailer also mentions nothing of the gambling controversy, which is easily one of the most fascinating and contentious issues surround Rose’s legacy. We surely hope this is a warts and all biopic, and not an attempt to present a revisionist history of Rose’s career.
“4192: The Crowning of the Hit King” will premiere in L.A. on July 9th, though there is no word yet on when the film will be distributed wider.
