I finally got a chance to read that Sports Illustrated cover story last week about Pete Rose. And I have to say I agree with most of the article's basic points. Pete Rose has been banned from the game and ineligible for the Hall of Fame for nearly 25 years. But, especially with Bud Selig leaving office (supposedly) after this year, it might be time to start thinking about reinstatement.
I get why Pete Rose was banished. He put himself in that position, and his punishment was certainly justified. Rose gambled on games. While he was manager of the Reds. He's admitted it. It took years, but he eventually did admit it. That should've been the first step towards reconciliation. And it was a necessary one. If Rose had never acknowledged that yes, he did gamble on games, then he and his supporters would have no case. But that long-awaited admission was a game-changer.
Pete Rose gambled on games. He didn't take PEDs. (Although, he played in the 70s and 80s, so I'm sure some drugs were involved, just a different kind of drugs.) That's a very big, very significant distinction. And some think that's a distinction that works in Rose's favor. During the steroid era, players were cheating the game, and their drug use was directly impacting their performance. But there's no way to know for certain if Rose ever did anything to deliberately impact the outcome of a game.
It's a tough thing to forgive and forget, especially with such a polarizing figure as Pete Rose. He committed the cardinal sin of baseball. He gambled on games, including games his team was playing in. Then he lied about it. Repeatedly. For years. For some, that's an unforgiveable offense. Even though it's baseball, they're unwilling to give Pete Rose his three strikes. I get it, and I can see why people might feel that way.
That's where Pete Rose presents such a predicament. His sins were egregious. The rules he broke are clearly spelled out, and he received a punishment consistent with that violation. But is that any worse than what the PED users did? That question's very much up for debate, but there are plenty of people who don't think so. And that's where the problem comes in. All of the PED "users" are eligible for the Hall of Fame. Pete Rose isn't. And the only two differences between the cases is that one is gambling and the other is steroids, and, the difference that's most significant, Rose has admitted to his gambling, while most of the PED "users" are still just suspected to have done it.
If Pete Rose were reinstated, I'm not saying he'd be a lock for induction. He'd probably run into many of the same obstacles the Steroid Era guys who'll continue to sit there not getting in and leaving the ballot overcrowded for years to come. There would certainly be those who'd vow to "never vote for Pete Rose, no matter what." But, seeing as it's been 25 years since he's even been allowed to be involved in the game, Rose would probably go directly to the Veteran's Committee, which, even though it includes many of his friends and former Reds teammates like Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan, would probably not be any easier a route.
While I'm not saying Pete Rose should be reinstated and put in the Hall of Fame tomorrow, it's definitely worth considering. If not for his gambling and lifetime banishment, he would've given a speech in Cooperstown long ago. Not only is the all-time leader in hits, he was an All-Star at five! different positions, and was still serviceable at the end of his 24-year career, even though he was in his mid-40s. It should also speak volumes that he was selected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, leading to that memorable Jim Gray interview during the 1999 World Series.
What's not up for debate is that Pete Rose is one of the all-time great players ever to step onto a baseball diamond. If the Hall of Fame is a place to honor the game's all-time greats, that's where Pete Rose belongs. Yet the only way he can even get into the building is if he buys a ticket like the rest of us. And that's what makes this situation, and the situations involving Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and whatever other steroid guy you want to make the case for, all the more complicated. Although, the Bonds and Clemens thing is still relatively fresh in everyone's minds. There's a full generation of baseball fans who only know Pete Rose as that guy who's not eligible for the Hall of Fame and want to know why.
My stance on Bonds, Clemens and Co. is well known. And it's not going to change. Neither is my opinion on Pete Rose. If looking at strictly his playing career, Pete Rose is a sure-fire Hall of Famer. You wouldn't think twice about it. The only thing that complicates matters is his permanent ineligibility. But, like I said, there's no guarantee he gets in even if his lifetime ban is lifted. I'd be curious to see what the reaction to Pete Rose on a Veteran's Committee ballot would be, though.
I have a feeling that the reaction to Pete Rose wouldn't be as frosty as the reaction to Barry Bonds, et. al. is. The road to forgiveness is a long one, but Pete Rose has at least begun paving the way. Just ask Cincinnati Reds fans how they feel about Pete Rose (even though they're not allowed to retire it, the Reds haven't given out No. 14 since Rose retired). And they're not alone. Time heals all wounds. Maybe with enough time, Pete Rose will be forgiven. And maybe, just maybe, he'll one day be recognized in the Hall of Fame as more than just the all-time hits leader.
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