Monday, July 27, 2009

Allow Pete Rose Into the Hall of Fame


Hank Aaron this weekend said its time to let Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame. He's right. Pete Rose holds the Major League record for hits with 4,256 and games played with 3,562. He was a Rookie of the Year and MVP winner. He has 3 World Series rings and won 3 batting titles to go with 2 Gold Glove Awards. Lets not forget that he made 17 All-Star game appearances.

Yes, Pete Rose did gamble on baseball and has been punished for it for 20 years now. He gambled while he was a Manager and not a player. He should never be allowed to manage a baseball team again but he should be in the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest players of all time.

Cheating has become a big issue in baseball because steroids. Many Hall of Famers such as Hank Aaron has called for an asterik next to the names of players stats who used steroids. The question becomes how many players cheated in Hank Aaron's day. Gaylord Perry used everything from sandpaper to vaseline on a baseball and how many players corked bats or used pine tar? Cheating has always been a part of baseball. Not something to be proud of but it exists.

Pete Rose gambled as a Manager but he never cheated as a player. He played his heart out every game. Not a likeable guy if you ask me but neither was Ty Cobb and he is in the Hall of Fame. If Ty Cobb is in the Hall of Fame then Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

Fergie Jenkins and Orlando Cepeda were both arrested for drug possesion but yet both are in the Hall of Fame. They were both great players but neither was as great as Pete Rose. Isn't gambling like drugs and addiction. If we can forgive Jenkins and Cepeda then we can forgive Pete Rose.

The time has come to give the man his due and put him in the Hall of Fame. He may not have been a great man during his playing days but he was a great player and that is all that should matter when entering the Hall of Fame because very few of us are great men.

1 comment:

  1. They have to forgive Pete Rose. There is another one somewhat like Pete Rose: Abraham Philip Ordover, a Jewish professor. Unlike Rose, Ordover resigned because he was accused of sexual harassment. Ordover said, "The events of the past several weeks have caused deep injury to me and them. Someone has to start the healing process; it will be me."

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