Amarillo’s Scandal of the Celebrity Who Left The YMCA In Shambles

Many remember the name of Pete Rose, one of Major League Baseball's most controversial names. But many have forgotten when Pete Rose came to Amarillo.

The news of Rose's passing has brought back many memories with fans, one of those being the baseball player's appearance in the Yellow City that was dreamed up and sponsored by the Board of Directors for the downtown YMCA.

At the time (the year 2003), the organization had found themselves with a dwindling coffer, and the idea of a big-time baseball celebrity spearheading a fundraiser seemed sure to benefit all parties.

Negotiations were had and Pete Rose agreed to make an appearance--at a flat fee of $40,000, of course. This wasn't new for Rose as he routinely had private signings where he charged to appear.

Plans were finalized and the event was set. A listing from a June 2003 post in My Plainview stated:

Pete Rose will be the featured speaker at Amarillo's first YMCA All-Star Sports Festival on Saturday, Aug. 16. Rose will participate in a batting clinic at the Dilla Villa before moving to the Civic Center arena where sports activities, ballpark food and drinks and silent and live auctions are planned.

What could go wrong?

THE SNAG

For all the raw talent and fame the Hit King wielded, he had but one flaw: gambling. And it was his gambling addiction that had left him an outcast of the baseball world.

The baseball star had banned himself for life from his own sport for the offense of betting on it. It was a black mark that hung heavy on his image, lingering well into 2003.

The YMCA, an organization with a mission of instilling "Christian principles into practice" and guided by "core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility" seemed the least likely sponsor of a fallen sports star embroiled by personal and legal troubles.

But, for the Board of Directors, it was nothing a little PR campaign couldn't smooth over. Several well-planned appearances on local TV stations curried the image of an unfair lifetime ban.

The Hit King had been punished enough, said the talking heads.

THE EVENT

The big day rolled around in August 2003. The one and only Pete Rose disembarked his plane in Amarillo, Texas...seemingly inebriated.

Organizers of the event immediately noticed signs of intoxication in Rose, but the day continued on.

The first stop was the old Memorial Stadium, or "Dilla Villa" as it was affectionately called, where Amarillo's semi-pro teams played. It may not have been the prettiest stadium, locals were ready to admit, but it was Amarillo's much-loved ball grounds.

To Rose's credit, he commented on his love for "these old stadiums". But any favor he curried was soon dashed by the loud, off-color jokes made to his entourage that were heard by parents and children who had come to attend the Hit King's batting clinic.

A local sportswriter who attended the entire event commented in his column the next day that he was disturbed by Rose's apparent intoxicated and offensive behavior.

Even more disappointingly, the banquet hosted at the Civic Center had fewer than 100 attendees.

In all, the Board of Directors for the YMCA's illustrious plan of a profitable celebrity fundraising event did not come close to the fruitful outcome they had envisioned. The funds raised were hardly enough to cover the $40,000 required by Pete Rose to make his appearance.

Interestingly enough, within months of the debacle, the downtown YMCA quietly closed its doors for good.

Note from the editor: This is the sixth installation in a series revisiting Amarillo's scandals. You may read other stories here.