“I tell people my career started with a bet, and Pere’s (Rose) ended with one.” ~ Mo Roberts
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio and was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970. It was an old-style park nestled in the Queensgate section of the city bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue (northeast / angling), Dalton Avenue (east) and McLean Avenue (west). Crosley Field was the first major-league park fitted with lights and hosted the first night game on May 24, 1935, with the Reds beating the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1. It had a rich history and was the location when an unusual career was launched.
(Crosley Field, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1969. Found on the internet. Assuming Public Domain.)
Three female friends attended a game at Crosley in August of 1969. During the game a “double-dirty-dare” bet for $5 was issued and to win Morganna Roberts ran out on the field and kissed Pete Rose on the check.
She told him, “Pete, I buy your hotdogs”.
Rose responded, “You crazy $@?%&* broad, are you out of your $@?%&* mind?”.
But she won the bet. A couple days later Rose found where she worked, apologized, and gave her a dozen roses. She also obtained her nickname from a headline in the paper, “Bandit Steals Kiss from Pete Rose”, which reported the event. Thus, Morganna, the Kissing Bandit was born.
Morganna Roberts was born in Louisville, Kentucky on July 4th, 1947. She had been raised in a poor family by her grandparents after her mom disowned her as a baby. Her grandfather took her to baseball games, so at a young age she became a fan. At the age of six, she was sent to Mount Mercy Catholic Boarding School. At one point she thought she wanted to be a nun but ended up running away from the school at age 13. She lived on the street for a while, but eventually she got work as an exotic dancer. She passed for 18 as she was 5’9, weighted 112lbs and her “baseball stats” as she referred to her measurements were an astounding 60-23-39.
For the next twenty years, Morganna kissed her way through the major sports league. Always on the check so she didn’t cause an issue with the player’s wives and their families. She also said that due to most MLB players of the era chewing tobacco she wanted no part of kissing them on the lips. Her list includes:
Major League Baseball
· George Brett (Twice – He once went up on stage during her show and kissed her. Reportedly, they remained friendly, keeping in touch and exchanging Christmas cards.)
· Frank Howard (Picture in the Hall of Fame)
· Wes Park (Who tried to run away from her.)
· Pete Rose (Her first)
· Nolan Ryan (part of her “double-play”)
· Dickie Thon (the other half of her “double-play”)
(Morganna and George Brett. Found on the internet. Assuming Public Domain.)
Minor League Baseball:
· Benny Distefani (Buffalo Bisons / AAA)
Old Timer’s Game:
· Warren Spahn (July 2, 1984)
NFL:
College Football Coaches:
NBA:
· Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Who writes at https://kareem.substack.com - Please subscribe, he has both free and paid options.)
· Scottie Pippen (Her last)
(Morganna and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Found on the internet. Assuming Public Domain.)
NBA Coach:
NHL:
Ron Leaf (No internet presence)
Poultry / Mascot:
Jockey:
Reportedly, there were others, but surprisingly there isn’t a comprehensive list out there. Morganna admitted she lost track of all the minor league players she smooched. There were also owners and umpires to the best of her recollection.
Her “athletic career” came with risks. She suffered bruised ribs, was hit by a pitch in Milwaukee, tackled by security, arrested, and charged with trespassing approximately 20 times and was jailed briefly in Anaheim, California. She also stood trial in Houston. She was represented by Texas attorney Richard “Racehorse” Haynes who argued what he called a “gravity defense”. He explained that her presence on the field was due to her 112lbs body, 15lbs of which was her chest that caused gravity to take over when she leaned over the rail to see a foul ball, closing with “Gravity took its toll, she fell out on the field, and the rest is history.” The judge laughed and dismissed the case.
Over the years, she made millions of dollars (her husband Bill Cottrell is an accountant), appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Late Show with David Letterman. She at one time was part owner of the Utica Blue Sox, had her own baseball card series, endorsed the “Morganna Kissing Bandit Peanuts”, appeared as herself in the movie, “Kingpin” (1996) and posed for Playboy.
(Morganna Roberts. Found on the internet. Assuming Public Domain.)
When she kissed Pete Rose, Jr. she told him, “Tell your daddy hi and I’ll try to hang in there and not get wrinkled before there’s a Pete Rose III.” She had style and a sense of humour.
Morganna “retired” in 1999 and is living with her husband in Ohio, they have a son Nick. She doesn’t grant interviews any longer and is living a peaceful life where most people don’t know about her exploits (she had breast reduction surgery later in life). But while she “played” she added spice, entertainment, and surprises as you never knew when or where she’d show up. She was one of a kind.
Thanks Morganna and happy belated 75th birthday.
~ Coach Mike
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This is a great story🤩. Thank you so much for sharing🙏 I had forgotten all about her‼️ She had a great run😊
I, like most boys in that era, remember Morganna well. What I didn’t know was all her “stats”. Thanks Mike !