There’s a fairly interesting debate going on in the world of major league baseball regarding Pete Rose and his potential induction into the Hall of Fame. Rose recently died and a remembrance at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati brought the attention back to the public eye.
Where do I stand on this issue? Does Pete Rose deserve to be honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame or were his misdeed egregious enough to exclude him from entry?
The Obvious about Pete Rose
My first step is to dispense with any nonsense arguments. Pete Rose was more than a good enough player and manager to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is the all-time Hits leader in the league and his nickname, Charlie Hustle, is deserved for his all-out play. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer for his performance. No questions asked. Done.
The second issue is that he agreed to a lifetime ban in exchange for MLB not filing a formal report about his gambling habits. He gambled on games, he gambled on games the team he was managing competed in, and the man who wrote the report is on record as saying he thinks Pete Rose bet against his own team. This fully disqualifies Pete Rose from being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Rose agreed to the ban.
The more Complex Issues
The lifetime ban Pete Rose agreed to serve is over. He is no longer alive. MLB now accepts considerable money from gambling services in advertisement revenue. Some players who cheated in the Houston Astros sign stealing scheme are still eligible despite unfairly altering outcomes. The same for some players who took performance enhancing drugs.
His betting on games his team played in is an enormous problem. Even if he never bet against the Cincinnati Red, his job as manager allowed him to influence games. Did he save the ace pitcher for a game Pete Rose gambled on? Did he rest players to get them in the best position for the days he gambled? His roll as manager is in direct conflict with his wagers; whether to win, lose, over/under, or any other proposition bet.
His personal life and the fact he lied and lied and lied about his gambling is another issue in the perception of his entry in the Hall of Fame.
Enough Dodging About
All right, enough of me dodging sharing my opinion. What do I think? I think the Veterans Committee should submit his name for consideration. The agreed upon lifetime ban is over.
Would I vote for Pete Rose? No. I think his gambling, lies, and off-field behavior is enough for me to say he doesn’t belong. But it’s not my decision. Others disagree with me and they should be allowed to speak with their vote.
What do you think?
Loading ...Tom Liberman