Let’s check in on the Dodgers and Cubs series over in Japan:

Some people are saying that Peete stole this ball from Muncy and therefore Steve Bartman’d him, but I’m not so sure. You can see Muncy reaching over the netting but he’s a little late. Peete’s glove is actually underneath Muncy’s, and inside the netting, so it’s not like he reached into the field of play or went above him to snag it. Did he interfere with Muncy or affect his concentration? Maybe. You could make that argument.

The other question is why is Rodney Peete at a baseball game in Japan? And why is he bringing a glove to the game? That’s a violation, bo!

Apparently the answer to the first question is that Peete’s son R.J. is a Dodgers clubhouse attendant. R.J. has autism, and in a 2023 profile written by Steve Henson at the LA Times, the story is told thusly:

RJ was hired after Dodgers executive Lon Rosen watched an episode of the family’s reality television series, “For Peete’s Sake,” about his parents helping him land him his first job when he turned 18.

Rosen, who has known the Peetes for several decades, invited RJ to the stadium for an interview. Holly and Rodney each held one of RJ’s hands as they walked him into the clubhouse.

“I remember that day and I felt great,” RJ said. “My mom had known Lon for years, even before she met my dad. He’s been a great person to us and he’s the one who got me the job.”

…

..win or lose, RJ cleans the dugout. Before games he is responsible for preparing the bullpen: assembling chairs, setting out massage guns and filling the fridge with water and energy drinks. And once the dugout is spotless at game’s end, he heads back to the clubhouse and helps with laundry.

Good story. Worth a read.


As for the elder Peete’s four-year Eagles tenure, he finished with a 15-9 record while throwing 17 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. It was that mid-90s Ray Rhodes era between Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb in which the Eagles tried Peete, Ty and Koy Detmer, and Bobby Hoying. Even Mark Rypien got a game. They went 10-6 the first two years and won a playoff game over the Lions behind a huge Peete performance, then endured a few losing seasons before Andy Reid came to town.