When Mark Calitri was growing up in Central Kentucky, he was a big fan of the Cincinnati Reds.
Every summer, his family would go to a game.
“It was an incredible experience to see them play every summer,” he said.
About 15 years ago, Calitri met his favorite player — Pete Rose.
“I was awestruck,” he said. “Just the air he had about him.”
About 20 years ago, Calitri and Dr. Larry C. Bobbert began working on a book about how Rose’s dedication to baseball could be translated into skills for success in any field.
They spent the last eight months writing “The Winning Leadership Playbook: The Pete Rose Way — Hustle, Heart, and High-Performance.”
It’s now available on Amazon and at Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Google Books and through Ingram Sparks Publishing.
Calitri said the book was “built on real conversations with Pete Rose, inspired by the wisdom of Hall of Fame Manager Sparky Anderson, and expanded through interviews and research with high-performing business leaders, successful coaches and professional athletes.”
In September 2017, Calitri helped bring Rose to the RiverPark Center for a sold-out 90-minute show.
Calitri said Rose told stories about his playing days and life outside the ballpark.
He said Rose visited several restaurants and attractions while he was in town.
Calitri said Rose told people, “You owe it to yourself to be the best you can possibly be — in baseball and in life.”
“Pete loved Owensboro,” Calitri said. “He felt at home here. That hard-working spirit is what built his career — show up every day and give your best.”
He said events like that “became opportunities to learn, to connect and to deepen the relationship. Those conversations about drive and accountability laid the groundwork for this book.”
The book also includes stories about baseball manager George “Sparky” Anderson, grocer Jungle Jim Bonaminio and Mary Kay Ash.
Rose, who died last year at 83, had a record 4,256 career hits and played in a record 3,562 games.
But he’s not in the Baseball Hall of Fame because he was banned from baseball in 1991 for betting on baseball games.
Calitri has been president of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau since 2017.