Pete Rose is the all-time hits leader in baseball. He has played in more major league games than any other player. He stands near the top of many lists in achievements with regards to baseball. So why is he not in the Hall of Fame? His lifetime banishment from baseball is the result of his addiction to gambling. His gambling habit goes back to his younger years, but it was never on baseball. He knew of Rule 21(d) that says the following: “Any player, umpire or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon a baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible”. It was not until after he became a manager in 1987 when he started to bet on baseball, and commit one of the worse sins in baseball, betting on his own team.
It is time for Pete Rose to be given his rightful place in the Hall of Fame. Since his banishment from baseball, fans have voiced their opinion that he should be allowed his opportunity to be voted into the Hall of Fame. If one listens to sports talk radio, the issue of Pete Rose rises every so often, with the overwhelming sentiment that Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. Periodically in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, there are old baseball cards of Pete Rose left behind by visitors. Every year there are write in votes for Pete Rose from members of The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). The BBWWA is the body that votes retired players into the Hall of Fame. Even some former players agree that Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. Since there are so many supporters for Pete Rose, why is he not in the Hall of Fame, or even given the opportunity to be given a serious vote by the BBWAA? It comes down to one mane, Commissioner Bud Selig. He is the only one that can review and approve Pete Rose’s petition of reinstatement. Once he is reinstated and his name is removed from the permanently ineligible list he then can be put on the ballot to be voted into the Hall of Fame. The proposition of this paper is offer the following: that Rose be reinstated fully and removed from the permanently ineligible list, or that there be a provision in his reinstatement that will limit his role in baseball but make him eligible for Hall of Fame induction. This proposition should be granted for the following three reasons, first he has the stats and “intangibles” as a player that are needed to be in the Hall of Fame, second he never bet on baseball as a player, and third the Major League has already circumvented their own rule regarding Rose and therefore he should not be subject to it anymore.
There are certain criteria for being in the Baseball Hall of Fame with regards to a position player (these are the players that are not pitchers, who have a different set of criteria). A player needs to have a suitable lifetime batting average, his is .303. This may not be great, but there are players with his same batting average in the Hall of Fame, such as Hank Aaron who has a .305 all time batting average. He has played more major-league games (3,562) than any other player has. He is also the all time hits leader with 4,256, which surpassed Ty Cobb’s record that stood for 57 years. These stats alone are good enough to get any player voted into the Hall of Fame in the first year they are eligible. There are players that do not make the grade in regards to their statistical performance, but they have those abilities or traits that are not represented on the stat sheet, these are called by sports insiders as “intangibles”. Rose earned himself the nickname “Charlie Hustle” due to his game play. When he was at bat and was walked, instead of walking, which most ball players do, he sprinted to first base. His base running was impressive with face first slides and aggressive attacks on home plate. He was also an exceptional infielder sacrificing his body to make the out. Pete Rose possessed both the numbers and great field presence as well as leadership that is sufficient to get him into the Hall of Fame.
As a player Pete Rose never bet as a player, according to his autobiography, he never had time during the season to do anything but play the game; the game is what he was focused on from March through October when he was playing. There is no proof provided by special investigator John Dowd as to Rose’s betting on baseball prior to 1987. Commisioner Fay Vincent claims that Rose bet on baseball, and that a friend of Rose has told him so. According to Vic Ziegel a long time sportswriter who covered Rose’s career says that when he called Rose’s friend to ask him about the conversation he had with Commissioner Vincent the friend said “I never uttered those words. It’s untrue.” Dowd, Vincent and his predecessor Giamatti all chased after red herrings trying to get evidence of Rose’s betting on baseball while he was a player. However, none succeeded. Since he never bet on baseball during his playing years, it would be wrong to void all that he did in his 22-year career. Opponents will say that he gambled and mingled with druggies, that’s true. He gambled on horses, basketball and football during his off-season, but the Hall of Fame is full of gamblers. His association with drug dealers should have no reflect on his character, especially since he never peddled or used drugs unlike a handful of players that are in the Hall of Fame that used drugs. On the topic of drugs how will baseball deal with those that have been found and admitted to using steroids, a banned substance, that has been used to break records and taint the game of baseball.
His stats and his not betting on baseball as a player are sufficient for his case. Baseball knows this, but is unwilling to make any official stance in regards to Pete Rose. They have circumvented the rules regarding Rose during the last decade. In 2000, he was voted to the All-Century Team. Being permanently ineligible means one cannot put on the uniform of a player or manager, step onto a major league field during a major league event, be a commentator for baseball or have ownership in a team. On that day, Rose both dressed in uniform and took the field. Again, in 2002, baseball bent its own rules, and by special invitation on behalf of Commissioner Selig, he was invited to the World Series to take part in the “Most Memorable Events” ceremony in San Francisco’s baseball stadium before the game. Baseball has used him in other times during pregame shows to do interviews and comment on current players. Baseball has used Rose for its own needs, but has not given back.
Surely, the issue of his gambling addiction has been a concern for Commissioner Selig as well as his predecessors. He has sought help in regards to his gambling addiction. He no longer bets on baseball, he would be a fool to. During the investigation by MLB into Rose’s gambling habits, Rose filed and won a legal order that no action would be taken against Rose for one month. During that month, Rose could have bet it all on baseball and fixed his games to make a big cash out before baseball had its way with him. However, he did not gamble, he followed the rules. It would be in the best interest of Commissioner Selig that Pete Rose be reinstated. In recent years, the fans have turned on Selig, especially after the fall out of the steroid era of baseball. For more than a decade there existed a culture of drugs in baseball especially in regards to steroids. Players were juicing up, and breaking records, such as Roger Maris’ record for most home runs in a single season, and most recently, Hank Aaron’s record of most career home runs was broken by now federally indicted Barry Bonds. This is the first season after the steroid era of baseball. Baseball is supposed to be clean now, and there has been a general feeling of forgiveness for those that had transgressed and confessed to their use of steroids. In the spirit of forgiveness that seems to be in baseball, and a lack of trust by fans for the commissioner’s office, the reinstatement will only help further baseballs love among its fans. Since these players have been forgiven for tainting the integrity of the game, then why not forgive Pete Rose.
If baseball is concerned that he should return to baseball in the role of a manager or coach, and fall back into his old addiction, than baseball can merely make a provision to his reinstatement saying something similar to the following: Pete Rose is hereby given full reinstatement with the following exceptions, that he shall not participate in baseball as a player, coach, manager, owner either part of in full, nor be an official, nor be on any clubs payroll for what ever reason. Nor shall be permitted to the club house or dug out prior to or during a game.” This will help baseball two fold, it will help some people in baseball sleep better at night knowing Rose has nothing to do with the outcome of a game, and it will give the fans what they want.
There are those opponents who would say the rule is the rule; he broke it and now must pay the consequences for it. Rules are to be respected of course, but his ineligibility bars him unfairly in regards to being admitted to the Hall of Fame. There are different types of hall of famers; there are the players, managers, owners, umpires, commissioners, and broadcasters. Rose’s transgression came while as a manager, not a player. There is the issue of the lifetime banishment that Pete Rose signed of his own accord on August 23, 1989. It was an agreement to a lifetime ban from baseball and that his name would be put on the permanently ineligible list. Since he signed this agreement to the lifetime ban, there is no argument; he willingly accepted the punishment to save the humiliation of a public trial. Regarding the lifetime ban that Rose signed, it was never an admission of guilt in regards to his betting on baseball. Under Rule 15 of Major League Baseball, he should have had his chance to appeal for reinstatement within a year of his banishment. Commissioner Fay Vincent never gave him the chance to appeal for reinstatement. Since the presiding commissioner never gave him the opportunity at that time, no other commissioner has given him the opportunity to appeal his lifetime banishment. In his banishment that he signed, it even states that within a year he would be able to appeal the banishment that he signed. Commissioner Giamatti, who was commissioner at the time when Rose signed his ban, is said by some to have been in favor of reinstating Rose when his year concluded, but Giamatti died nine days after they signed the lifetime ban. Giamatti and Rose came to the agreement as stated before, in order to save baseball and Rose from a humiliating, long drawn out public proceeding. Baseball has wronged Rose for the last 18 years by not allowing him to appeal his lifetime ban from baseball. Baseball promised him an appeal, and in the spirit that the ban was signed, it should be honored.
His admittance to the Hall of Fame should be based upon his actions as a player. He possessed the stats and characteristics of a Hall of Famer. His betting on baseball was done as a manager; his recognition in the Hall of Fame should be that of a player. This last decade baseball has not followed its own rules. It has picked and chosen what rules it will follow. After nearly two decades of being banned, it is time to let Rose back in. If the fans are asking for Rose to be back in, and one only needs to look at various polls taken by various sports news agencies to see that an overwhelming majority support Rose being in the Hall of Fame. Baseball would be nothing if it weren’t for the fans. Mister Commissioner it is time you listen to the fans. It is time to set you apart from the previous commissioners and make your own statement. You will be remembered as the one that pardoned Charlie Hustle, baseball’s everyman, and that sir might help you find your place in the Hall of Fame.
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