Last Word on Pete Rose
I’ve seen the Pete Rose issue bandied about by some of our finest baseball minds this week including the inimitable Peter Gammons, former commissioner Fay Vincent, Bob Costas, and many well known columnists.
I’ve read and listened to enough on Pete Rose to tell you this.
For years many knowledgeable writers, broadcasters, or former teammates of Pete’s have urged that, if Pete would just tell the world that, yes, he did bet on baseball all would be understood and he would then be eligible to join the greats of the game in the Hall of Fame.
So, Pete told the world that he did bet on baseball.
Guess what happened?
Peter Gammons hit the ceiling when Pete somehow besmirched the reputation of former commissioner Bart Giamatti who passed away shortly after suspending Rose in 1989, during his statements this week. Gammons has even gone as far as linking Giamatti’s death to the stress caused by the Rose case, ignoring the fact that Giamatti, a wonderful man, was very much over weight and smoked like a chimney, those factors medically contributing to his death more than Rose’s gambling habits.
This faux pas has convinced Gammons that Pete is no longer worthy in his eyes to be voted into Cooperstown, even though Gammons was the one who urged Pete to make his admissions to clear the air, Gammons then saying he would vote for Pete once he did that.
When Rose said he bet on baseball did it matter where he placed the bets, whether he bet on the Reds, where he got his information for the bets, or how many times he did bet while manager of the Reds?
No, it didn’t. The fact is that he bet on baseball games while a manager, the gory details of how it happened should come as no shock.
Everyone is freaked that Rose bet from the clubhouse. Would it be any better if he bet from his hotel room? Would he be less cuplable if he placed his bets on the internet?
John Q. Public asked him to admit that he gambled on baseball, he has now done that, why is everyone so upset and ready to lynch Rose for confirming the facts we all knew were coming?
His timing? His television interview? Is that what pushed the deserters over the line?
Click below for more!The details of how these bets were placed and the deceptive nature of Rose’s behavior over the past 14 years goes to the issue of whether or not Rose should be reinstated to be an active participant in baseball games again.
The above, in my opinion, does not determine whether or not he should be eligible to join the private museum known as the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown New York.
These are two separate issues and I haven’t seen anyone make a coherent argument since Monday explaining why anything Rose has said this week detracts from the accomplishments he achieved as a player in the National League.
The evidence showed Pete Rose bet on baseball, we have known it for 14 years, we asked him to admit what we already knew, he was a gambler who violated the trust of the game after his playing days. Rose is a flawed human being, that became even more obvious this week, we asked for it and he gave it to us with full force.
Get off the man’s back!
If you never felt he should be admitted to the Hall of Fame because he gambled as a manager, then that is your opinion, but if you were one of the many who said “I will vote for Pete if he admits his transgressions”, then get off your high horse (that means you Peter G.) and take what you asked for and show some integrity and don’t change your tune just because you didn’t like the answer you knew was coming.
I’m not going to say anymore about this subject.
Pete Rose should be eligible to be recognized in the Hall, but should not have an active role with any major league team until further notice.
Now, back to the majors.
The A’s picked up Lou Pote and Wayne Gomes (minor league contracts), two journeyman relievers. I guess it’s insurance in case Chad Harville doesn’t cut the mustard in the bull pen.
Julian Tavarez will absolutely help the St. Louis pen next season as will Cliff Politte in Chicago with the Sox.
Rich Aurilia gives the Mariners a decent bat in their lineup.
The Mets are going to offer some dough to Vlad Guerrero, but I see this more as a negotiating ploy by his agents to jack up the Orioles offer, while they wait for the Dodger sale to take place.
The White Sox are still trying to move Magglio Ordonez for a pitcher, the Dodgers are in this mix too.
When are the Mets going to trade Roger Cedeno, the Jeff Cirillo of the East coast?
Rafael Palmiero in Baltimore and Robert Fick in Tampa Bay, what is wrong with Travis Lee?
Rick Reed, Kenny Rogers, and Sidney Ponson are still out there, one has to sign with Baltimore and one with Texas, the other who knows?
What is Darren Oliver doing while the Giants wait for Greg Maddux to decide where he wants to win his 300th game?
Still too quiet for me in Boston, something is up.
I promise, no more on Pete Rose from me.
0 comments
Marty,
I could not agree with you more about Pete Rose. Enough already. I have always believed that the HOF is to honor baseball achievements on the field. Betting cannot take away Rose’s achievements there. He is part of baseball–Charlie Hustle means something to many fans.
These writers now saying they have changed their minds is ridiculous. Maybe they didn’t like the way Rose owned up–I didn’t either–but if that was what the Commisioner asked him to do, then I believe he fulfilled his part of the deal. Rose ia a sad soul who still has a hard time admittting that gambling is a disease and he suffers from it. But he has admitted to betting on baseball and said he regrets it. What more does Gammons want?
I heard a story that the reason the book came out this week was that a friend of Selig’s leaked some things from the book after Bud sent it to him. Interesting, if true. If not, Rose had very poor pr advice about conflicting with the HOF elections this year. But again, this doesn’t diminish his acomplishments on the field. Just makes him sadder to see and hear.
Ban him from actively taking part in any team in MLB. Put him in the Hall. And let’s move on.
The nay sayers should have expected the sordid details to come with Rose’s admission. Rose was just not a weekend office pool player, he is a hard core gambler, so his frailty as a person invariably came through and I think that is what the critics are missing, his behavior even today is that of a hard core gambler, that’s what he is, don’t act so surprised when you learn how he gambled thousands every day, it isn’t a pretty story no matter how much we want Pete to be the perfect repentent soul, it’s not going to happen, it’s part of the vice. Also, I’d give Pete his full 15 years to be voted in, since for the last thirteen he has been ineligible, don’t force the writers to decide on Pete by 2005, give him his due once you make him eligible.
Marty
Marty:
This matter points out again the painful incompetence of Bud Selig — this scenario was orchestrated with his full knowledge, much time for preparation was available — yet Selig once again has a disgraceful shadow on the game on his hands. I believe Rose came to him during 2002 with the admission, and that Selig has badly bungled the whole public disclosure sequence.
When any of us enter your home page, to share our Love of the Game, we see the face of Lester Rodney. Lester Rodney loved the game, and shepherded its principals to the single most important event in baseball’s history. Lester Rodney helped to empower Branch Rickey in 1947 when 15 of the 16 baseball owners voted in fear to maintain segregation. Lester Rodney and Branch Rickey brought honor, dignity and power to the Game, aand made Brown v Board of Education attaniable for the SCOTUS.
Selig is a continuing disgrace. He dealings with Pohlad on the contraction issue were borderline felonious, his handling of this Pete Rose issue immensly embarrassing. Ueberoth, Giammatti, Vincent, even Bowie Kuhn — any of these would have hired professional people to manage this handling of the Rose issue — in a way compassionate to Pete, in a way to demonstrate Love of the Game. Mostly, in a way to HONOR the Game.
At his time, before any of us think about Pete, lets think about removing Selig from the position he maintains –for the Love of the Game.
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