Pete Rose

After last nights All Star game, the web is full of Pete Rose stories. Pete is now 73 years old and has been banned from the game for 25 years. With Selig stepping down in January, and next years All Star game being held in Cincy, many are saying its time to lift his ban. Thoughts?

 

Should have been lifted a long time ago. What he did is minor compared to what a lot of guys have done the last 10 years. How many dopers are still playing the game?

 

I agree that it should be lifted. Baseball has accepted Mark McGwire coming back as a coach after being considered one of the sports biggest frauds. He's a non story at this point. I think the same would happen with Rose. Big story at first, then it dies down and people forget about his past and move on.

ARod is eligible to play next year. If he plays, that would be a much bigger black eye to the sport IMO.

 

Nobody hustled like old Charlie Hustle. As a kid I admired him but he did do some stupid things with gambling. With that being said some could argue gambling is a disease. I think the guy always had a huge heart but got caught in some bad stuff. Regardless of what he did after playing while coaching he did do amazing things and should be remembered for his time on the field.

 

I'm no fan of Pete Rose as a person and I grew up hating the Reds, but I've always said that they should let him in the hall as a player. His stats speak for themselves. Keep him away from the game as anything else. He will always be a pariah to most. It's too bad that guys like McGuire and A-Rod are hall-eligible and Rose is not; regardless of whether or not they ever get the votes.

It boils down to this...not that there is any evidence to say he did, but Rose may have cheated to fill his pockets (by aligning his efforts to his gambling bets.) However, we know that admitted PED users did cheat to line their pockets.

Yet PED guys are not only allowed to be eligible to stay in baseball after serving suspensions, but their stats are not formally barred from consideration in regards to HOF voting- even for those years they tested positive/otherwise admitted.

That's extremely hypocritical of MLB.

 

Mark McGuire is a poor comparison since he didn't break any MLB rules at the time he played.

But, yes I would like to see Rose's ban lifted. He has been punished enough.

 

I think they should lift the ban. Just because they lift the ban doesn't mean he will get into the hall of fame. Just look at Bonds, Sosa, & McGuire. I say lift the ban and let the hall of fame voters sort it out.

 

The point I was getting at is, baseball and its fans are a forgiving bunch. McGwire broke baseballl records, which are often times held in higher regard than rules by die hard fans.

 

This. The veterans committee is full of guys that would have played with and against Rose. I don't see a first ballot induction coming for him, if he is reinstated. I think they would make him sit out a year or two before voting him in.

 

I have a big problem with a coach betting on games in which he is coaching. That being said, I dont know if he ever bet against his own team or colluded with other players and coaches. If he merely bet on games and on his own team to win then lift the ban. If he bet against his team then keep the ban.

 

Tris Speaker is in the hall of fame with documents proving he bet on the games. One document in particular is hand written by Ty Cobb and it was "well known" this went on. Pete Rose should be in the hall of fame and currently coaching MLB.

 

This sums it up for me also.
He was a great player but you got to draw a line somewhere.

 

What Pete did to get banned he did while managing, what Pete did as a player is what is hall of fame worthy. I can see him not being allowed to manage but to deny him as a player is wrong.

 

I couldn't see anyone wanting Pete to manage. He couldn't take a young and very talented team to the playoffs. He got banned in 89 and the Reds won the World Series the next season. Coincidence?

 

I agree with Sota, what he did to get banned was while he was a manager not a player, and no one can argue the stats that he put up as a player. The ban should be lifted, and should have been lifted a long time ago...it's time the MLB welcome one of its greatest players back!

 

The ban should have been lifted long, long ago. Yes he bet on baseball, and he has served his punishment.

Then again I have also changed my stance on steroids and the HOF, and could really care less if the Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, etc. crew were voted in. It was part of the game, for better or worse, during that time, and the HOF is there to tell the history of the games greatest players for every era. To say Selig was completely blind to what was going on in the game at that time would be a big lie IMO.

Go back in time, and all kinds of players were using greenies and other tricks to gain an edge...and many of them sit in the sacred, "clean" HOF now.

 

He cheated the game, never let him back IMO. I would do the same for ped users also.

 

I think the ban should be lifted, his accomplishments as a player are what he should be measured by, not as a manager. Plus, it would still be left up to the hall of fame voters.

 

I think the ban on Pete is a sham. Sure he bet on baseball, but he has been put through enough. What he did as a player was legendary. He should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

 

Can someone explain how he cheated if he never bet against his own team?

I think betting on yourself to win should be legal for all sports. LOL

It was before my generation, but my Dad grew up worshiping him. I think it is a crying shame he is NOT already in the HOF.