His children, Fawn and Pete Jr. were in ... a field where he learned to play the game of baseball. When asked about their reactions to the news, the Rose family said it was an emotional one.

The local Little League in the City of Newburgh, N.Y., has been desperately trying to attract enough kids to stay afloat. Their story represents the fading tradition of the casual Little Leaguer.

“We’ve talked a lot about younger audiences and how significant they are for the future ... next wave of baseball fans. “I want to pick their brains, too, see what drives kids these days ...

they'll stay competitive for the foreseeable future. The Blue Jays (16-16) came into the season with just the 27th-ranked farm in the league, via MLB.com. Their two top-100 prospects are shortstop ...