Major League Baseball

Yelich Gets Assist From Rose

Published Aug. 21, 2020 10:10 a.m. ET

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich was in a slump. So who did he call?

Well, the all-time hits leader, of course.

With every game carrying 2.7 times the weight in a 60-game season, a slow start is a justifiable cause for concern, and Yelich was feeling the pressure of his subpar performance through the first eight games of the season.

Yelich had just 3 hits and 16 strikeouts in 34 regular season at-bats, posting a batting average of .088. He was ordered to take a “mental break” by Brewers manager Craig Counsell after Milwaukee's 1-0 win over the White Sox on Aug. 5.

But the very next day, Yelich would find his footing, with a little help from 3-time World Series champ Pete Rose.

Rose is the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256), at-bats (14,053) and singles (3,215).

In his 23-year career Rose racked up three battling titles, one MVP award, and two Gold Gloves.

And according to MLB analyst Ken Rosenthal, the 17-time All-Star gave Yelich some sage advice.

"What Rose told Yelich was, 'Hey, back off the plate so you can better handle the ball in, and start using the whole field the way you did last season.'"

Rose's advice might very well have been the secret sauce that Yelich needed, because soon after, the 2018 NL MVP once again found his touch.

It all started with a 8-3 win over the White Sox at Wrigley Field on Aug. 6., when Yelich hit the first inside-the-park home run of his career.

It was his second homer of the year, putting his batting average above .100. 

The night ended with Yelich becoming the first player in franchise history to hit a home run and walk at least four times in the same game. 

Since then, he's posted a .295 batting average with 13 hits in 44 at-bats, with 5 home runs, and 11 RBIs.

Given Yelich's recent success, Rose might have a second career in baseball as a motivational speaker. 

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Christian Yelich

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