Pete Rose's HOF Chances just got more remote
With a new commissioner in place (Rob Manfred), who was distancing himself from Bud Selig, a major obstacle was removed. Manfred himself had said that it was something he was open to talk about. Many of the fellow baseball players who predated Rose and were against him being in the Hall are no longer with us. Rampant PED use made his gambling sins look tame in comparison.
As we all know, Rose was banned from baseball when it was proven that he bet on games while as a Manager for the Cincinnati Reds, allegations he denied for years until he admitted it in a 2004 autobiography, though he stated that he never bet on the game as a player, and it was never proven that he did…
Until now.
A report from ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” shows concrete evidence that Rose did place wagers as a player and did so with mob-connected bookmakers, information that will likely render his appeal for reinstatement moot as this uncovers another deception against the rules of baseball.
At age 74, Rose does not likely have the time to get forgiveness for this latest or recently discovered) transgression. It is also interesting that it was expected that Rose would have some involvement in the All Star Game that is being held in Cincinnati in three weeks, though that participation will probably be revoked.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com feel that Pete Rose is still a Hall of Famer, but our expectations of that happening are gone now.
3. Pete Rose
Statistically, there is no argument about the Hall of Fame qualifications of Pete Rose. Even the most casual baseball fan is aware that “Charlie Hustle” is the all-time hit king with 4,256 hits, a record that may never be broken. Rose was also a 17-time All-Star and proved to be a clutch performer, as evidenced by his three World Series Rings, including a World Series MVP. Sadly, as much as casual sports fans are aware of Rose’s on-field accomplishments, many who have never turned their dial to ESPN know his off-field embarrassments.
As many are aware, Pete Rose was banned from Baseball for betting on the sport. This has long been considered taboo in Major League Baseball, as the league has prohibited its players from betting on the sport. Rose was caught, most specifically, regularly wagering on his own team.
Here is where it gets interesting for us at NIHOF. We will flat-out tell you that the five of us who comprise the NIHOF committee are borderline degenerate gamblers, so it seems wrong to us to come down on a kindred spirit. That said, nothing in our line of work prevents us from placing a wager or two; there was for Pete Rose.
What made it worse was that Rose denied the allegations for years. How different would it have been had he owned up and admitted what he did? When heroes fall (and sadly, we are a society that wants to see it happen), the expectation is that they own up to their mistakes and are forgiven. One only has to look at the current situation with Andy Petite and Roger Clemens and see the reactions to these two pitchers. Petite apologized, and when he pitches today, fans don’t think about his former PED use. Clemens is on TV; all we can think about are his hollow denials.
This isn’t to say Pete Rose would have been reinstated if he had admitted his guilt. Baseball is rooted so deeply in tradition that it often fails to move forward. There is a very sizable chance that Rose would have remained ineligible had he admitted that wrongdoing twenty years ago. What probably cemented his fate is that when he finally did admit to gambling on Baseball, it was in 2004 upon releasing a book. The timing was awful as he did so two days after the Baseball Hall of Fame announced their 2004 inductees. It reeked of selfishness, and the apology fell flat to many.
Regardless, we hope Pete Rose will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at some point, but now it will be posthumously. There is a chance now, as Commissioner Rob Manfred has unbanned Rose (and others) from the game, and it will be a fascinating case for the Veterans Committee, should he make it. There should be no doubt that many believe he is the greatest omission of any Hall of Fame period. There is no question about that. Pete will, however, likely be our Hit King candidate for years to come.