Every Rose has its thorn

4,256. The Major League record for hits in a career. And the number of reasons why Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

For those who don’t know, Pete Rose received a lifetime ban from Commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989 after he was found guilty of betting on the team he managed, the Cincinnati Reds. Gambling is forbidden in baseball, and pretty much all professional sports, for obvious reasons. Those within the game cannot bet on the game as it creates a conflict of interest and opens the door to the possibility – real or perceived – that games are fixed.

Nicknamed Charlie Hustle for his
intense and hard-nosed style of play,
many feel images like this is are
how Rose should be remembered.

Because of Rose’s lifetime ban, he has been denied eligibility for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame, an honour he definitely deserves. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown has adopted the policy that they will not allow anyone to be elected if they have been banned by Major League Baseball. In other words, the Hall of Fame is keeping Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame, not Major League Baseball. However, until MLB lifts their ban on Rose, the Hall will uphold his sentence.

So why now, after 25 years, is there more debate than ever over Rose’s candidacy? Let’s examine a few key reasons.

The Steroid Era

The steroid era has muddied the waters in terms of public opinion on players’ transgressions. Opinions of fans, media and the general public on the use of PEDs range from apathy, to feeling players should be punished for a mistake but still given another chance, to calls for lifetime bans for those who are viewed as cheating the game and fellow competitors.

The bottom line is baseball turned a blind eye to PED use for years because it helped the “state of the game”, and only acted upon it when they could ignore it no longer. This is one of Rose’s biggest arguments in his defense and I would tend to agree with him. In Keith Olbermann’s recent special, Pete Rose: 25 Years in Exile, Rose posed the question of which was worse – gambling or PED use. And then wondered why PED users are given three chances (or more), yet he is serving a lifetime ban.

Rose no longer denies his guilt (he did for years) and he acknowledges the severity of his offense, but it’s hard for anyone to argue Rose wasn’t made an example of. He is the poster child for what happens to those who bet on the game. If that’s the case, fine, but at least be consistent. Gambling hurts the image of the game, but PED use not only hurts the image of the game, it also affects the on-field product. It inflates numbers and hurts hard-working, clean competitors who are fighting as hard as they can to keep a job by doing things the right way. If PED users are going to get three strikes, why is gambling deemed a so much more vile offense that it immediately generates a lifetime ban? Whether you like Rose or not, it’s a very fair question and one that should be addressed by Major League Baseball.

Time

25 years is a long time for things to marinate and public opinion to change. For the most part, Rose is a likeable guy. He still lives and breathes baseball, he’s constantly interacting with fans, and he’s someone people can relate to. Rose is someone most of us could picture being the guy next door or coaching our son’s little league team. 

There are also many young fans now who know why Rose was banned, but they weren’t old enough at the time to grasp what was happening. They see the history books now and they look at Rose’s numbers and contributions to the game as a player and wonder how in the world MLB can justify keeping him out of the Hall of Fame when so many other men of more questionable behavior and character are enshrined. Ty Cobb is often brought up and with good reason – he’s an inductee and recognized as one of the greatest hitters ever, but one must dig deeper if they want to uncover his various atrocities. A list which, by the way, includes many more glaring crimes than anything Rose ever did, including various assaults and manslaughter.

How can MLB justify allowing men like Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez to continue suiting up and taking the field when the all-time hits leader sits at home, refused access to the game in any way, shape or form? Alex Rodriguez is an admitted PED user currently serving a one-year suspension for various offenses. Ryan Braun tested positive for a banned substance, got off on a technicality, proceeded to publicly destroy the reputation of the man who handled his urine sample, then was later found guilty of PED use and served a 65 game suspension. Are you telling me Rose hurt the game’s image more than those two?

New Commissioner

In Bud Selig’s tenure as MLB commissioner, he has refused to reinstate Pete Rose. He’s not a big fan of Pete Rose, but also does not want to undo a ruling set forth by one of his predecessors. With Selig now retiring and Rob Manfred taking his place, there is a glimmer of hope that a new commissioner might right a 25-year-old wrong and allow Pete Rose his rightful place in the game’s history.

Pete Rose

Pete Rose has never shied away from the public eye and is constantly making his case for reinstatement. It’s very clear he loves the game and, as he put it in his interview, even under banishment he is still one of the greatest ambassadors the game has. He constantly talks baseball, continually interacts with fans at card shows and autograph signings, and flat out loves the game. Is there really a downside to having a man like that working with young players? What better man to work with young hitters than the man who racked up more hits than any other player in major league history?

Rose spends his days signing autographs, interacting with fans
and talking about the game he loves.

As Olbermann stated in his thoughts on Rose during 25 Years in Exile, Major League Baseball has already benefited from Rose when it made sense to do so. He referenced the 1999 appearance of the All-Century Team at the All-Star Game in Boston. Mastercard sponsored the event and wanted Rose present, so in order to make their sponsorship money, MLB agreed. Now, there is already talk of MLB relenting and allowing Rose to be apart of festivities at next year's All-Star game in Cincinnati, in order to appease fans and sponsors. 


"The hypocrisy about Pete Rose, baseball's hypocrisy, Bud Selig's hypocrisy is subtle but still shameful," Olbermann said. "Pete Rose's lifetime ban can be and has been turned on and off like a light switch. Just remember to bring enough cash."

I’m not defending what Rose did. Betting on the game is wrong if you’re a player, manager or executive. MLB cannot and should not risk the perception that its games are fixed in any way. But 25 years is a long enough sentence, especially given the sentences being handed down for various offenses in the game today, and the fact that MLB profits from his presence when it needs to.

All MLB has to do is reinstate Rose on a zero tolerance policy. Set conditions, such as he not be involved in any kind of gambling, period, and that he give speeches at high schools and colleges about the importance of preserving the integrity of the game. And then let him use his expertise to mold some of the game’s young prospects into the smart and prolific hitter he once was. There’s virtually no downside to giving him one last shot.

You’re missing a golden opportunity MLB. Enough is enough. It’s time to reinstate Peter Edward Rose.