Former Phil Pete Rose is Still a Million-Dollar Man

It’s been nearly a quarter-century since he was cast out of baseball for the sin of gambling on games, but don’t cry for Pete Rose, who was part of the Phillies’ 1980 World Series-winning club: He’s doing OK.

Philadelphia Business Journal points out the recent news that everything is still coming up, ahem, Rose-y:

Rose is earning more than $1 million a year from his business of signing and selling memorabilia featuring the Cincinnati Reds legend himself, according to a Wall Street Journal article that ran last week.

Charlie Hustle signs autographs on baseballs, photos, bats, whatever people want, if they plunk down enough money. The signed items typically run anywhere from $75 to $800, according to the Journal. Rose spends anywhere from 15 to 25 days a month signing, hustling, glad-handing customers and chatting them up. Almost all of his time is spent in Las Vegas, making appearances at casinos on the Strip.

Rose recently signed a multimillion-dollar contract with Hit King Inc., the company whose existence is based almost strictly on handling Rose’s autograph signing appearances and memorabilia sales.

Of course, he’s still disgraced and will never enter the Hall of Fame. Otherwise, he’s fine. And hey, at least he’s no Lenny Dykstra.

And anyway, all of this is an excuse to revive one of the best sight gags from the recently revived Arrested Development.

Maybe you had to be there.