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October 14, 2004Garber put a stop to Rose's bidFormer pitcher a long-time farmerByRecord-Eagle staff writer ELK RAPIDS - Gene Garber spent most of his baseball career in save situations. He's continued that role as a farmer. Garber, who pitched in 931 games during 19 major league seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, was in northern Michigan on Wednesday night to speak to residents about the importance of saving farm land and open spaces. Garber, a "sixth or seventh" generation farmer, is chairman of the Lancaster County (Pa.) Agricultural Preserve Board. Every baseball offseason, he worked on his family's dairy farm. "I was gone every summer from age 17 to 40," said Garber, who turns 57 next month. "When I got home, the local township was waging a battle over land use. One farmer wanted to rezone his land and develop it. "I took a drive around my farm and started counting houses," he said. "Within three miles, 335 new homes had been built - and this is a rural area. That's when I realized the gravity of the situation." Garber faced plenty of intense situations during his baseball career, but none more memorable than on Aug. 1, 1978. Garber, who had been traded from first-place Philadelphia to last-place Atlanta less than two months before, found himself facing Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose, whose 44-game hit streak was on the line. Rose, gunning for Joe DiMaggio's 56-gamer, was wearing an 0-for-4 collar when he stepped to the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. "We were a dead-last place club. We usually drew 3,000 to 4,000 fans a game," Garber said, setting the scene. "Then Rose comes to town on this hitting streak and there are 45,000 people in the stands. "He got a hit off Phil Niekro the night before, then he went 0-for-3 against Larry McWilliams before I came in. We were ahead 6-3, and I got him on a line shot to third base in the seventh inning. "We scored 10 runs in the seventh and eighth, so we were up 16-3," Garber said. "Bobby Cox (who is still the Braves' manager) said, 'Gene, I'm taking you out. We may need you tomorrow.' "But I told him, 'No way, I want to end Pete's streak. I'll throw nine innings tomorrow if you want, but I want to stay in.' So he let me pitch." The right-handed Garber, who turned his back to the plate during his wind-up - much like former Red Sox star Luis Tiant - fanned the first two batters in the inning before Rose dug in. "I was feeling pretty good, then it hit me, 'What if I walk him? I'll be a donkey the rest of my life,' " Garber said. "My knees were shaking, trying to throw a strike." The count reached 2-and-2 and Garber tossed his "feel pitch," a change-up. "I always knew if it was a good pitch or a bad pitch as soon as it left my hand, and as soon as I let it go I thought, 'Oh, no,' " Garber said. "I hung one right down the middle, and Pete swung right through it." Rose was enraged after striking out to end the game. He claimed Garber hadn't challenged him with a fastball. "I didn't have a fastball," the 5-foot-10 Garber said with a laugh. "I topped out at 86 mph. I had to use what God gave me." Rose's tirade to reporters lasted 10 minutes, Garber said. "He finally said, 'Garber pitched like it was the ninth inning of the seventh game of the World Series,' " Garber said. "I said to myself, 'Thanks, Pete. That's how I try to pitch every game.' " Garber's best season was in 1982 when he was 8-10 with a 2.34 earned-run average and 30 saves for the N.L. West champion Braves. He finished seventh in the Cy Young Award voting. Garber finished his career fifth on the all-time list in appearances and sixth in saves. He is currently 27th on the career saves list (218). When Garber was released by the Royals on July 4, 1988 - "They gave me my independence, unfortunately," Garber said - he returned to what he knew best: Farming. He now owns a poultry farm in the same Pennsylvania countryside he grew up in. "I've been blessed to have two jobs in my life, and I've loved both of them," Garber said. While Garber is proud of his long major league career, he said he is remembered more for stopping Rose's hit streak than anything else. Garber believes Rose's bid for the Hall of Fame - after being suspended for gambling in 1989 - should meet with the same fate. "Pete dressed in the same clubhouse, walked down the same runways and played on the same fields as everybody else did," Garber said. "And the rules were clearly posted in every one of those places. "If I'd been suspended for the same thing, would they consider reinstating me? I think we know the answer to that. Pete should be no different."
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