Sculptor of Pete Rose statue talks about hit king's legacy
Spectrum News spoke to University of Cincinnati graduate Tom Tsuchiya about his tribute to Pete Rose, a bronze sculpture of the baseball legend diving headfirst into home plate.
Rose died Sept. 30. He was 83.
In the wake of Rose's death, fans wishing to pay respects to the late World Series champion have left baseballs, flowers and candles at the sculpture outside Great American Ball Park.
Tsuchiya, a lifelong Reds fan, was commissioned by the team to create several statues to Reds greats including Rose. The statue was dedicated in 2017.
Speaking in his Cincinnati art studio, Tsuchiya told Spectrum News that he wanted to capture Rose's aggression and enthusiasm for the game he loved.
“Headfirst slides are kind of dangerous,” Tsuchiya said.
While consulting with Rose on his statue design, Tsuchiya said he asked Rose why he took such a big risk?
Tsuchiya said Rose replied, “Because it gets you in the (news)papers!”
Rose is Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader at 4,256. He was banned from hall of fame consideration for betting on baseball as a coach but is considered one of the game's greatest players.
Tsuchiya is a graduate of UC's Department of Classics in the College of Arts and Sciences.
His work appears in many other places across Cincinnati and the nation. He sculpted the city's tribute to trailblazing UC graduate Marian Spencer, the first Black woman elected to Cincinnati City Council. Spencer, who died in 2019, was a civil rights pioneer who served as a member of UC's Board of Trustees.
Tsuchiya also has been commissioned to create artworks for both the National Football League and Major League Baseball.
This week one of his pieces titled Embrace No Evil was dedicated on Court Street for the annual Blink festival.
Watch the Spectrum News story.
Featured image at top: UC alumnus Tom Tsuchiya talks about designing his sculpture of Pete Rose. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC
UC alumnus Tom Tsuchiya works on a plaque for the Cincinnati Reds' tribute to the 1869 Red Stockings in this 2017 file photo. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC
Latest UC News
- It’s a mindset: Meet the visionaries redefining innovation at 1819Innovation is being redefined by enterprising individuals at UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub. Meet the forward thinkers crafting the future of innovation from the heart of Cincinnati.
- UC’s spring Visiting Writers Series promises robust, diverse line-upLovers of literature, poetry and the written word can look forward to a rich series of visiting writer presentations, offered through UC’s College of Arts and Sciences department of English, coming this spring.
- UC students well represented in this year’s Inno Under 25 classEntrepreneurialism runs through the veins of University of Cincinnati students, as confirmed by the school’s strong representation in this year’s Inno Under 25 class.
- UC professor Ephraim Gutmark elected to National Academy of InventorsEphraim Gutmark, distinguished professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati, was elected to the 2024 class of the prestigious National Academy of Inventors.
- UC Law professors recognized for scholarly excellenceUniversity of Cincinnati College of Law professors Stephanie McMahon and Andrew Mamo were recently recognized for their scholarly contributions.
- ADAAPT: Growing Student IdeasSteven Doehler, an industrial design professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), says he prioritizes the entrepreneurial aspect of a student's design product – which led him to create HomeGrown Studio.
