For those of us who grew up watching Pete Rose up close and were thrilled at his flamboyant hustle his recent passing was a cold-water-in-the-face reminder of an era now a part of baseball history. We saw him come into the Cincinnati Reds lineup in 1963 and was originally despised by many fans. He was replacing a very popular player named Don Blasingame. The “blazer”, as he was called, was a good hitter, an excellent fielder and well-liked among his mates. Now Pete horns in–a brash young upstart who didn’t initially win many votes for man-of-the-year. That all changed when he won the Rookie of the Year award and Pete was on his way. For those who don’t know–Pete was average in all physical attributes. He was average height, a little chunky, had an average throwing arm and (probably) below average base speed. So it was a shock to everyone when he accomplished the stats he would own when his career ended. Mind you, he never was accused of using performance enhancing drugs. His sheer determination and love of the game was all the ammunition he needed to perform. Yes, he had personality issues. And he gambled…and eventually admitted the gambling. He was banned from baseball in 1989 by Commissioner Bart Giamatti who died soon after. We think that death put an indelible mark on the lifetime ban. In other words, we think no subsequent commissioner would ever consider undoing the decision of a dying man. So Pete was banned. In the intervening years gambling has become more casual in sports and no intelligent person will tell you that players don’t bet. Also, the players whose use of PED’s were proven are not only welcome in the baseball circles–they are allowed on the Hall of Fame ballot. Alex Rodriguez, for example, not only used drugs to achieve his stats but he also referred several other players to his drug source. He now works as an announcer for the New York Yankees (we guess his big market following absolves him of past sins). Mr. Rodriguez has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for the past three years. We suggest that Pete cannot benefit from consideration for the Hall. If Major League Baseball is playing on a level field (pun intended) they MUST put Rose’s name on the ballot. Let the peers who vote decide whether being first in almost every statistical category qualifies him for the Hall. Put his name right next to Mr. Rodriguez. And try to justify your vote. RIP, Pete. You thrilled us, disappointed us and saddened us. But your love of the game and your untarnished on-the-field accomplishments will always make us proud to have experienced your playing days.
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