There was a time when I felt sorry for Pete Rose. Each year, baseball?s all-time hit leader had to watch less deserving players enter the hallowed halls of Cooperstown while he was banished from the game he loved for gambling. He racked up 4,256 hits, for crying out loud. Enough is enough, I thought.
Strangely enough, any sliver of pity I held for the man vanished once he actually came clean, or at least gave his revised version of the truth. It finally dawned on me: why should anyone believe one single word Rose said? After all, this is the same man who for 14 years basically swore to the death that he did not bet on baseball, even though the evidence was overwhelmingly against him. What credibility could he possibly possess?
Do I wholeheartedly believe Pete Rose when he firmly states that he never bet against his team, or that the betting slips are not his, or that he never made bets from the clubhouse? Of course not. This guy has tried to lie his way to public pity for the past decade and a half, and now he?s trying to do it again.
As I watched Rose ?tell all? on national television I asked myself, ?Has he really learned his lesson?? Not a chance. Pete Rose is not sorry that he committed one of the gravest infractions in baseball; he?s only sorry that he got caught doing it and as a result can no longer be involved in baseball.
Putting him in the Hall of Fame presents a problem in its own right. Making Rose eligible would be opening a Cecil Fielder-sized can of worms. If gambling is indeed the ultimate baseball sin, and I cannot think of too many offenses that are worse in a baseball sense, then what message would Rose?s admission send to future ballplayers? ?Gambling is bad, but as long as you are a good player all will be forgiven? — is that really what Bud Selig wants to tell today?s crop of money-driven ball players?
If he is to be admitted, and the logical part of me maintains that it seems a bit ridiculous to leave baseball?s hit king out of Cooperstown, his banishment must also be recognized on his bust.
And Bud, don?t let Rose into the Hall of Fame because he came clean, let him in because his playing career warranted it. Don?t worry, Ray Kinsella, same goes for ?Shoeless? Joe Jackson. While the accusations surrounding Jackson and the Black Sox are considerably more severe, it does not take a tractor ride around a Dyersville, Iowa, cornfield to learn that Rose?s actions could have been equally destructive to the game of baseball.
My theory had long been that betting on your team would only provide added motivation to win. Once the media blitz surrounding Rose struck in full force over winter break, I found that theory to be as preposterous as Snoop Dogg claiming he was off the weed, or for that matter, Rose adamantly denying he bet on baseball for 14 years.
In between professing his undying love for Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox, Peter Gammons brought up a few points that really made me think. On days when he was not betting on the Reds, Rose would have no incentive to fully utilize his bullpen. After all, he might as well just leave his starter in to get shelled and save his best bullpen arms for a day when he had a bet riding on the outcome of the game.
Just think of the massive amount of control a manager has over a single game. He decides who gets a day off, who takes the mound and who leaves the mound. I don?t care if he says he is through with betting because I don?t believe him. That is why he should never be allowed near a dugout again. Put him in the Hall of Fame if his accomplishments can overshadow his sins, but do not let him back into baseball.
Just like everything else, Rose made his confession for personal gain. He desperately wants to be eligible for admission to Cooperstown while his fate is still in the hands of the writers, not the Veterans Committee. There was no great remorse weighing on his mind. He was thinking only of ways to help himself, not the game of baseball. With Rose rapidly approaching the 21 years retired plateau, the last thing he wants is to throw himself at the mercy of other ballplayers. As Ray Liotta, cough, Joe Jackson, said about Ty Cobb in ?Field of Dreams,? ?But none of us could stand the son of a bitch when we were alive so we told him to stick it.?
Pete Rose is garbage, plain and simple. The man is so self-serving, it makes me nauseous. Look no further than the timing of his ?confession.? In a very fortunate coincidence for poor Mr. Rose, he admitted to betting on baseball just days before the release of his book, sure to net him a nice little chunk of change since ?My Prison Without Bars? will debut at No. 1 on the bestseller list.
In another strange turn of events, Rose?s admission of guilt just happened to fall at the same time Paul Molitor and Dennis Eckersley were announced as the next members of the Hall of Fame. All-time hit king or not, who is Pete Rose to try and overshadow ?Molly? and ?Eck?? If he truly cared about the importance of the Hall of Fame, he would grow up a bit and let them have their moment. Sure, he claims it was not his intent to detract from their accomplishment, but once again, he really has not done a whole lot to earn America?s trust.
Anyone who saw him play or has seen highlights of him in action knows there?s no doubt ?Charlie Hustle? loves the game or at one time loved the game. Unfortunately, he loves gambling and himself a little bit more. That is something I don?t see changing anytime soon. So don?t feel sorry for Pete Rose; he doesn?t deserve it.