Pete Rose and fiancée Kiana Kim to star in “Hits and Mrs.” reality show on TLC

Pete Rose has more hits than any other player in the history of major league baseball, and now the controversial sports figure hopes to add one more in the form of a new reality show! TLC’s Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs. premieres tonight at 10/9c featuring the now 71-year-old Rose, his former Playboy model fiancee Kiana Kim and her two children: Cassie (14) and Ashton (11).

From the official TLC press release:

BATTER UP! TLC TAKES A BIG SWING WITH NEW SERIES PETE ROSE: HITS & MRS.

Premieres January 14 at 10 PM et/pt on
TLC December 11, 2012 Contact – Shannon Martin

TLC steps up to the plate with a new six-part docu-series sharing the lives of professional baseball’s most loveable bad boy, the All-Time Hit King, Pete Rose and his new fiancée, former Playboy model Kiana Kim. PETE ROSE: HITS & MRS. premieres Monday, January 14 at 10 PM ET/PT and follows Pete and Kiana as they blend their respective families and prepare for a new life together.

Pete and Kiana are happily engaged-but as with many couples, the road to a wedding isn’t always smooth. This new modern family will experience all of the challenges other families face-and much more. Much younger than her soon to be husband, Kiana is a vivacious mother of two beautiful kids from a previous marriage, Cassie (14) and Ashton (11). This will be Pete’s third go-around raising kids, as he brings four older children of his own into the mix-some of whom have reservations about Kiana’s age and their upcoming nuptials. Together they will face the added challenge of determining where to lay down roots. With Pete living and working in Las Vegas, and Kiana and her two kids residing in Los Angeles, can they manage a long distance relationship under separate roofs in different cities? Pete’s legendary history with baseball further complicates their lives. Kiana and her family know very little about that part of his past and his side of the story behind the public problems he continues to face. Pete shares more about his rise to fame in – and infamous banning from – the sport he loves, lives and breathes. With the support of Kiana and her kids, his family and legions of diehard fans, Pete considers appealing to the commissioner again on reinstatement. PETE ROSE: HITS & MRS. takes viewers along for the ride as he attempts to bring his new family together, celebrate his extraordinary career and live the life he’s always wanted to have.

PETE ROSE: HITS & MRS. is produced for TLC by Creature Films. Executive producers for Creature Films are Mark Ford and Kevin Lopez.

And for those not familiar with Kiana Kim, she is 28 years old and, as mentioned above, has appeared in several Playboy publications, including their 2009 Sexy 100 issue. Almost as eye-popping as Pete Rose’s MLB record 4,256 hits, 3,562 games played, and 14,053 at bats are Kiana’s 36Dc-24-35 measurements. And don’t think for a second those numbers are embellished! For example, check out this photo from her 2011 calendar:

Hey batter, batter, batter, batter, batter… SWING!

For more background info on Kiana Kim, here are some excerpts from the “About Me” section of her website KianaKim.com:

Asian beauty Kiana Kim has spent her life overcoming obstacles to become a successful television personality, model, actress, entrepreneur and now star of TLC’s “Pete Rose: Hits and Mrs.” She was born into a struggling family in Seoul, Korea, who immigrated to the United States in search of a better life when Kiana was only five years old. Kiana’s parents worked hard to succeed and their example has always motivated her. Ambitious and hardworking like her parents, Kiana studied Business Marketing and graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree, proving that she was not just another pretty face. Shortly after graduation, her ethnic beauty led her to a coveted position as a flight attendant with the elite Korean Airlines, where she traveled the world.

Kiana retired her wings to have a family: a beautiful daughter Cassie Taylor, now 14, who is an aspiring actress, singer and model, and her son Ashton, now 11, who has grown into a kind and gentle young man who enjoys basketball and video games. When her children were very young, Kiana became a highly successful real estate agent, earning many top awards for her volume of sales.

But divorce left her a single mom, forced to raise two young children on her own. She translated her business and marketing success in real estate to become the owner and operator of a popular hair salon, while simultaneously launching a modeling and acting career. During this time, she met the iconic baseball legend Pete Rose, to whom she is now engaged.

Can’t wait until the premiere, or do you not have cable at all? Then check out the first two episodes of Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs. online for free right here, courtesy of TLC!

Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs. airs Monday nights at 10/9c on TLC.