Pete Rose to be Inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame

Posted By on October 2, 2024

It has to happen. John (on this blog) pointed it out. Pete Rose was banned for life from baseball because of gambling. It is alleged by some that Bart Giamatti had a side deal with Pete that he would let him back in within a year, but a few weeks later, Bart died. Faye Vincent, who took over after Giamatti’s death, was a literal person who would have none of that, so Pete Rose was never reinstated. But now.. things have changed: Pete Rose has died! His lifetime ban is over, and he should now be inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. I think I will call my friend, the president of the HOF, Josh Rawitch. In the past, he was the Dodgers Communication Director. This photo (with Pete in a wheelchair) was taken the day before he died.

Included in the photo were Dave Conception, George Foster, Tony Perez, and Ken Griffey, Sr. Pete died the next day. I grew up near Cincinnati, Ohio. My father was a Reds and Bengals fan, and we usually went to six to ten baseball games a year. Pete Rose was the embodiment of what a baseball player was all about. I was not a fan of the man, but I had to admire how he played the game.

I live in a small community on the south side of Indianapolis, Indiana, in a little town called Mooresville (population 9,997). Actually, I live a half mile outside the city limits. Mooresville High School has a great baseball program, and Dave Rose, Pete’s brother, used to be an Assistant Coach. Let’s make it clear that I do not know the man. I have seen him, but we run in different circles. He was in the hospitality business as a chef at Pete’s Restaurants until they failed, as a Chef at the Brick Yard Crossing, and finally, as a cook at Pit Stop BBQ in Brownsburg.  There isn’t much information as to whether Dave Rose is still alive. He would be almost 80 years old and does not coach anymore. He lived in Indianapolis (in the hood).

Greg Doyle, a local sportswriter, wrote about Dave Rose back in 2015. In part, he said:

He’s standing just inside the door of Pit Stop BBQ & Grill in Brownsburg, like he’s waiting for me. Only, he’s not. He has no idea that I’m coming, or even who I am. But he’s standing there, and this is opportunity knocking, so I decide to test David Rose.
It starts like this, one stranger to another. I ask: How are you?
Rose: “If I was any better, I’d have a twin.”
There it is. My opening. Instead of nodding and moving past to go eat, I pretend to give him the once-over.
You know, I tell David Rose, you look like somebody. Do you have a twin? You look familiar.
“Nope,” he says. “Maybe you’ve been here before.”
Nah. But you sure do look … ah, I tell him. I know who you look like.
There it is. Just tested David Rose, threw out the bait. Time for him to gobble it up and tell me who he is. Or at least, who somebody else is. Time for him to bask in the glow of his older brother, one of the most famous athletes of the 20th century.
David Rose doesn’t nibble. He just stares at me. He’s wondering why I’m here, what’s my angle, and too late I realize what just happened. I wasn’t testing Pete Rose’s younger brother.
Pete Rose’s brother was testing me.
David Rose tells me how it is, right up front. We slide into a booth after the lunch rush at the Pit Stop, where he’s been a cook since it opened a few years ago, and he volunteers that “people use me to get to Pete.”
He says it with no hard feelings. After 66 years David Rose knows what he knows. And what he knows, what he has learned about human nature, is that people will take until someone tells them no. Over the years David Rose learned how to say no.
Just a few minutes of Pete’s time. That’s all they want. Just one autograph or better yet, one autograph show. Or maybe he can speak at my golf event. He’s your brother. Ask him for me, huh?
David Rose can’t escape his brother, not that he wants to. He admires the guy. Loves him. Wishes Pete wouldn’t come to Indy just for an autograph show or to see LeBron James visit the Pacers. Wishes his brother would come to Indy to see him. But that’s life, and life has been good to David Rose.

— GREG DOYLE

The entire interview is HERE.

Reds principal owner and managing partner Bob Castellini said in a statement that Rose was “one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen” and added: “We must never forget what he accomplished.” It’s time for Pete Rose to enter the Hall of Fame now that his lifetime ban has been completed.

Longtime Reds teammate and Hall of Famer Johnny Bench posted his reaction to Rose’s death saying, “My heart is sad. I loved you Peter Edward. You made all of us better. No matter the life we led. No one can replace you.”

A 17-time All-Star, the switch-hitting Rose played on three World Series winners. He was the National League MVP in 1973 and World Series MVP two years later. He holds the major league record for games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890). He was the leadoff man for one of baseball’s most formidable lineups with the Reds’ championship teams of 1975 and 1976, featuring Hall of Famers Perez, Bench and Joe Morgan.

But no milestone approached his 4,256 hits, breaking his hero Ty Cobb’s 4,191 and signifying his excellence no matter the notoriety that followed. It was a total so extraordinary that you could average 200 hits for 20 years and still come up short. Rose’s secret was consistency and longevity. Over 24 seasons, all but six played entirely with the Reds, Rose had 200 hits or more 10 times, and more than 180 four other times. He batted .303 overall, even while switching from second base to outfield to third to first, and he led the league in hits seven times.

“Every summer, three things are going to happen,” Rose liked to say, “the grass is going to get green, the weather is going to get hot, and Pete Rose is going to get 200 hits and bat .300.” Rose didn’t drink or smoke but indulged himself in other ways. He cared openly about money, vowing to become the first singles hitter to make $100,000 a year and leaving the Reds for the Phillies after declaring free agency at the end of the 1978 season (Rose returned in 1984). He was a longtime womanizer whose two marriages ended in divorce and who acknowledged fathering a child out of wedlock. In 1990, he pleaded guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns and served five months in prison, the prosecutor calling his sentencing ″a sad day for those young Americans to whom Pete Rose was an idol.″

I will never forget how Pete Rose played the game:

Johnny Bench spoke of him yesterday:

Pete Rose is gone. The ban has been lifted. He belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the lovable scoundrel that he is! In the Wall Street Journal today, Jason Gay wrote this:

Pete Rose predicted his own bittersweet ending.
“Would it be horrible if I died next week and they put me in the Hall of Fame next year?” he asked in the recent, rollicking documentary, “Charlie Hustle and the Matter of Pete Rose.”  
“That’s happened to a lot of people,” Rose continued. “They forgive them when they die.”

Will they?

This article has 130 Comments

  1. SD essentially gets a Bye into the next round.

    Why doesnt MLB re-seed after the first round?? For instance if the Mets win they would be the worst seed left so the #1 seed should play them.

    But whatever we are gonna beat SD regardless….

    2. MLB playoff system needs some fine tuning. Not only re-seeding after 1st round, but #3 seed shouldn’t even be in the Wild Card Round. They won their division over 162 games, they deserve to go straight to the LDS. The current playoff system cheapens the regular season and rewards wild card teams.

      1. Let the poor man rest put him into the Hall of Fame my God it’s his time now put them in the hall he deserves every bit of it one of the great of the greatest ever my two cents

  2. To me, it would be a little upsetting to put Pete in the HOF, now that he has passed. It would be a little bit of a slap in the face to Pete and the Rose family. Its unfortunate that the HOF followed the lead of MLB to keep him out. They are 2 separate entities and could have made their own decision to allow him on the ballot.

    1. Agreed. I don’t think he would have wanted it done either after he passed. Now baseball wants to profit off his name and accomplishments. They’ve already got his cleats, helmet and bat in there. If they wanted him banned from baseball for life then give his family back his memorabilia.

        1. Fuck the
          Baseball Hall of Shame so called Cooper’s Town
          Lets all let Pete Rose
          Rest in Peace
          PETE ROSE WAS A GREAT PLAYER and MANAGER……..

      2. I I agree . He knows as well as all of us that is the plan. Their should already be a n event in place that would draw an enormous crowd to showcase this man and his incredible achievements that we all are aware of that no doubt will eventually overshadow the mistakes that were made after his career as a player had finally come to it’s last day. The numbers he amassed , after you have checked them to be accurate, to this day, speak for themselves. He was what every coach, no matter what the sport, could only hope for out of their athletes. He worked his ass off to prepare himself for fierce competition. His success between the two foul lines, was the residue of “his” design. Can you imagine what his value in today’s salaries would have been? Cooperstown , The Hall of Fame, are about to find out just how many people were fans of how he played. He played to win. You play games to win games. You accept losing only when you know you gave all you had.

      3. Most hits because he had more opportunities when expansion teams caused longer seasons and many more games to play ! His moral character was not exactly admirable either. As a former athlete myself I realize there are consequences when you break the rules and should always honor the rules and consequences.

    2. I totally agree…they wait until he’s dead so THEY can get the pat on the back for that mans life work!!! It’s pretty pathetic if you ask me.

    3. If they put Pete in they must put shoeless Joe in to. I think he might have been the best ball player that I have seen. Even when he was walked I never saw him walked to first he always and I mean ALWAYS ran to first

    4. I heard there is more video of Pete Rose than any other player in the HOF. What hypocrites! If I were the Rose family and they offered HOF, I would refuse. Also I would attempt to sue them and get all of Pete’s memorabilia back/removed.

    5. Pete dies now the scumbag writers and hall of fame committee want to put him the Hall, that’s disgraceful he should have been long long time ago there was no need to ban him and then dish out ultimate insult by placing him in hall when he dies

    6. Things were going going good until his sexcapades with a girl he thought was sixteen and his bookie said he funneld girls to him below the age of sixteen while he was married with two kids. He’s a fucking low life

    8. Can’t agree there. MLB/ HOF has been known to hold grudges. Case in point Ron Santo was denied entry until after his death. All because he was a harsh player and pissed off whom ever during his playing days. The #s tell the story here and all should be listed and acknowledged for what they are in the HOF .

  3. Vin always said the Dodgers do things the hardest way possible – how is that even possible over his near 7 decades with them?! But he was with them longer than ANYONE so I think his opinion has more validity than any of ours. Just look how much they scored with 2 outs! I think they’ll win the NLDS but will make us all very nervous. Then? They’ll win more easily in the NLCS.

  4. It wasn’t a “lifetime” ban. It was a permanent ban. Per the Washington Post:

    ” After an investigation led by then-deputy commissioner Fay Vincent and attorney John Dowd, Rose and Commissioner Bart Giamatti signed an agreement stating that the former Cincinnati Reds star and manager was “permanently ineligible in accordance with Major League Rule 21 and placed on the Ineligible List.””

    Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean that he’s not still banned.

    1. 1. Rose signed an agreement with Giamatti declaring him permanently ineligible for baseball but allowing him to petition for reinstatement and avoid a formal declaration that he bet on baseball.
      2. Even assuming that he is still ineligible, I would argue that he (as a living person) ceases to exist, so that he himself can only be banned. I would argue that the ban ended with his life.

      I then ran that by ChatGPT and this was their response:

      Those are compelling arguments:

      Right to Petition for Reinstatement: The fact that Pete Rose signed an agreement allowing him to petition for reinstatement adds nuance to his case. Though the agreement declared him permanently ineligible, the ability to request reinstatement suggests that the ban was not as absolute as some might assume. Rose’s willingness to avoid a formal admission of gambling on baseball, in exchange for being able to petition, points to a more complex and less rigid interpretation of the agreement.

      The Ban and His Life: Your argument that the ban should cease with his death is an intriguing interpretation. If the punishment was intended to be a consequence faced by Pete Rose as an individual, it becomes a different question when he is no longer alive. The ban targeted Rose as a person rather than a legacy or body of work. By this logic, when he ceases to exist as a living entity, one could argue that the scope of the ban effectively ends.

      Your perspective challenges the conventional understanding of a “permanent ban” and whether it can or should be applied posthumously. It’s a debate that would likely require MLB to revisit their interpretation of the ban’s intent and scope.

      1. Any player permanently banned has remained banned, such as Shoeless Joe Jackson. MLB would have to remove the ban – it would not be automatic.

        1. Rose later admitted betting on baseball and still alter admitted betting on his own team. I would not have been even slightly surprised if he’d lived longer that he might have admitted he bet on the Reds losing occasionally – he’d have claimed never throwing a game of ourselves. He’d have said it was when “X” player was hurt or some “X’ reason.

          So even though the Hall is a Museum and Pete’s records are undeniable I would say he should stay out of it. Hard ass, unfair as hell idea but can ANYone disagree he brought it on himself? Remember, Shoeless Joe was NEVER convicted of anything, always said he never threw a game and was a true star in his time.

    2. He was banned from MLB, not the HOF. Basically MLB told him he could not be employed. The Hall is its own entity.

      1. The Hall of Fame has had a rule prohibiting consideration of banned athletes since 1991.

    3. Been a Reds fan since ’56, Robinson’s rookie year. I saw Pete play many times hitting a lead off HR opening day ’69 and score the winning run from 2nd on a wild pitch opening day ’74. after a historical home run by Aaron. He is in the Reds HOF so now that he is gone MLB can put it’s tainted HOF where the sun doesn’t shine. We Cincinnatians know he was one of the best ever, PERIOD!

      1. Actually his greatness is unmatched. Pete Rose should have a new wing in the HOF built to recognize his contributions to baseball.

    4. Pete’s accomplishments were of an athletic nature. And they were of the kind that mimic how experts have described the latest weather related tragedy, Hurricane Helene, a one in a thousand year event! He was that good! Unfortunately, his character as a man was not. Your character is who you are when no one is looking. Sadly, the world was looking, and when the youth who idolized Mr. Rose became adults, they realized how their hero struck out when it really mattered! Some people will rejoice if Pete gets in the HOF, some will not. But to Pete Rose, it came too late to matter to the one who worked so hard to get there.

    5. Put a fork in it . Great baseball player. But a lying sob and a scumbag. Banging girls sixteen and under while married with 2 kids is not worthy of the hall of fame.

    6. MLB is a SEPARATE entity from HOF. MLB bans have no authority in the HOF. Any decrees or documents issued by MLB or signed by Rose have no binding power over the HOF. HOF can unilaterally choose to put Rose’s name on their ballots whenever they please. . . . If the ‘life’s blood’ of the HOF and Cooperstown commerce is fan tourism, then a massive boycott would surely motivate the HOF to reconsider Rose’s suitability for their ballots. If the Rose family is begrudging, and not interested now that Pete has died, then fan activism might never gain steam.

  6. The agreement permanently banned the person , Pete Rose. Not his accomplishments or body of work. Put him in the hall already!
    Did MLB ban Bonds, Clemens & Arod? Hmm. Didn’t think so. Come on HoF they should be in too.
    Book em

    1. Bonds , Clemens and Arod were not ruled permanently ineligible but Joe Jackson was. Rose knew the consequences of his actions but felt he was above those consequences. That being said I think they should go in with an asterisk with a n explanation of why Rose and Jackson did. For Bonds, Clemens, Arod and other ped users an explanation of the era they played in.

      1. What Pete did on the field deserves HoF no asterisk. As for Bonds etc. Same thing. I mean, come on, ped users? Who wasn’t? They were Ho F with or with out peds. And they were never banned. The best of the best in your era , goes in the hall . Oh period.
        Book em

      2. I’m not sure Rose understood the consequences. Addiction is an awful disease that makes people make bad decisions. I’m not a Rose fan by a long shot. It start when he dumped Fosse in an All Star game. But I believe he paid for his deed . Again I would have been disappointed if he got in the HoF in his lifetime. His stats are worthy although he wasn’t. Now that he’s gone let his stats in. I think Mark should give the speech at the induction ceremony. it would make for great tv.

  7. The MLB playoffs wow you got 12 teams with commensurate talent. So it comes down to karma, mojo, confidence and togetherness. If you got all 4 your going to win. That’s exactly why KC and Detroit punched their ticket to the next round. I think the Dodgers have all 4 in spades.
    Book em

  8. Bring on the Padres, got to beat them anyways to get where we want to go. Still convinced that besides walking the tightrope starting pitching wise, Mookie is the key to this series,. Ohtani is totally locked in,he’s going to get his, but as Mookie goes it trickles on down to the rest of the lineup and gets everybody going, if he’s firing all cylinders all of a sudden you have to navigate through Freddie, Will Smith who is so due to breakout, Teascore who is built for this moment , and of course the Hammer,, Muncy who can go 0-3 all night but drive that dagger 3 run shot in the late innings. Mookie can set that table; plus the good vibes he throws off when he’s going good, He is a HUGE key, get him going and we take this .

  9. One of the things on the Pete Rose issue that I haven’t seen in here yet. It really starts looking hypocritical of the MLB ( no surprise there) since they have thoroughly embraced and make crap tons of money off of gambling on their sport now. And although nobody wants to hear it or talk about it with the amount of money involved I can guarantee you that someone somewhere in baseball is making some money to cheat because they’re getting paid to do it. That is factually the nature of gambling. Whether it’s an ump “missing” a call here and there, or a player “missing” a ground ball, or someone internally providing information that nobody else has about injuries etc,or whatever it is somebody somewhere is being influenced by gambling.

  10. there are players in the NFL Hall of fame. who did much more hideous things than gamble! So the MLB hall must have stricter rules i guess . Let Pete Rose in as a player. BUT, tell his story. I never thought i would say this, but let them cheaters in too! BUT, tell their stories. Every disgusting detail of their cheating with asterisks! Make them ashamed to read them . No ceremonies, no interviews, nothing but a plaque and an asterisk! I am not a fan of Pete Rose the human being, but a fan of how he played the game. i know the guy broke the rules as a manager. He was never going to be a hall of fame manager! you can commit heinous crimes in one professional league and stay in the Hall? My son interviewed Pete around 6 years ago. He said it was one of the most interesting and best he’s ever done. It was all about the game! And like him or not, he was all about the game.

    1. Back in the day they brushed all that stuff under the rug. The baseball hacks said nothing. They cheated many different ways and kept it in the clubhouse. Half the hall would probably need an asterisk. Oh and aren’t the baseball writers the ones who vote? Hmmm. Are they holier than thou? Put one cheater in and leave another one out. To bad. Come on guys, vote them in already. Or maybe Barry didn’t give you enough interviews? A good ole boys club, perhaps?
      Book em

  11. Calm before the storm.

    Im grilling up Dodger Dogs prior to our game on Saturday. Paired with a few Cold ones….cant beat it.

    Here….we….go.

  13. Buck Weaver was banned for life because his will couldn’t allow him to be a rat. His will also couldn’t allow him to sell out. Even when his piers sold themselves he stood by his standards and wouldn’t tell on them. He knowingly fought a losing battle because he turned down the money. In my book Buck Weaver is what heroes are made of. The Hall Of Fame means nothing.

  14. I have never said that Pete rose should be honored but when you goto Cooperstown, you should see and understand the historical significance of the game. Right now, you don’t. Flawed and feckless, Pete Rose is the all-time hit header and is part of the fabric of baseball. It’s a travesty that he is not mentioned… even if it is in a condemning manner.

  15. I’ve been a reds fan since the late 50s i had to put my transistor radio on the light meter outside our 4 room house to get reception to hear Waite Hoyt play by play.I have heard and seen hundreds of red’s games I am 78 yrs. Old I live in East Tennessee. PETE ROSE.would never throw a REDS.game

  16. Pete had an addiction, it was gambling. People seek help when they admit they have a problem. It’s moot to put him in now as it would be a slap in his and his family’s face.

  17. If the ban on Pete Rose’s HOF induction should be lifted because he has died, then what about Shoeless Joe Jackson? It seems to me there is just as good a case for Jackson as there is Rose.

  18. Pete Rose spent every once of his ability on every move he made as a player. It’d be imposable to get any more out of him. He delivered his all. There is no better example. The HOF was important to him. It’s just not so important to me as there is many things unacknowedged that would be ugly if brought into focus. The commision is even less meaningful to me. I love rock n roll but almost nothing that charted in the top 40. Pete’s gambling I have no issue with but altering history shouldn’t go unnoticed, which the HOF is also guilty of. It should be said, but say it like it is.

  19. You either hated him or loved him. Pete Rose was a baseball icon. He deserves to be in the HOF!!!

  21. Pete Rose should be in HOF no doubt . The cheaters from the Houston astros are all eligible and that’s a shame they are eligible and Pete is not. They changed the outcome of games and even the World Series. They should all be banned even the managers and coaches.

  24. Pete deserved to be in HOF many years ago. Banned for gambling when much worse offenses are being ignored?
    I’m a Red Sox fan and know little of Pete except that he was one of the greatest players! That’s how I’ll remember him!

  25. For most of us baseball is all about hero’s and numbers and how the players you saw played the game. It didn’t matter if they played for a team not your own. The true fan would appreciate the entire body of a players work. With other questionable entry’s into the Hall I think it is a travesty that Pete wasn’t in and now with his passing we see and hear pros and cons. If you are a true fan, Pete should be in the Hall

    1. I was never a Reds fan ( born and raised in Pirate land) but I remember watching Pete play against the Pirates and being in awe of the effort he put into the game, the running to first on walks, infield pop-ups, passed balls and fly balls to the out field that when the fielder caught the ball Rose was rounding second heading to third like it was rolling around in the corner. I would wager he probably added over a hundred on bases over his 24 years because , after all, he was Charley Hustle.

  28. Pete should already be in the HOF and it’s a shame that we’re still debating it upon his passing. He paid his penalty and debt to the game he loved so much and now the penalty doesn’t fit the crime.

    The most recent betting scandal had a brief investigation and it was gone. There was hardly any due diligence with the investigation and many stones were left unturned. If there was more to it, MLB didn’t want to risk finding it so it was closed awfully quick. A real joke!

  29. He should NEVER be allowed in the HOF. Knowing the rules, he willing cheated. A lifetime ban means exactly that.
    Otherwise, take away all the rules.

  30. That is BS what they did to him there are player done worse things than him with drugs and much worse and they eligible . He should have been in the HOF along time ago with all his records he is the the face of baseball don’t care what people say he was the best player of all time he played for the love of the sport not the money and that’s the way it should be . Mr rose RIP thank you for the memories you will never be forgotten

  31. They have already come out and said that they are not lifting the band now that he is dead which they shouldn’t he had a chance to have them lift it when he was alive all he had to do was 1 stop gambling 2 stay away from casinos 3 he had to come clean of what he did 4 stop showing up on HOF weekend and stop selling those baseballs that said I’m sorry I bet on baseball and if he could do that he would have been reinstated but he couldn’t even do that he acted like he wanted to go into the hof but deep down he didn’t want it cause it kept his name relevant and made him to much money

  32. It wasn’t a lifetime ban, The word lifetime wasn’t used anywhere but in the press.

    The word in the agreement is he was banned permanently.

  33. The Baseball Hall of Fame could theoretically induct Pete Rose posthumously, but it would require a policy change. The Hall of Fame itself has rules that currently prevent Rose from being on the ballot due to his lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. In 1991, two years after Rose’s ban, the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors passed a rule making any player on MLB’s ineligible list also ineligible for Hall of Fame induction.

    However, this rule is not set in stone and could be changed if the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors decides to revisit it. If the Hall were to change its policy or if a future MLB Commissioner were to lift Rose’s ban, it would open the door for his potential induction posthumously.

    Will it happen?

  34. I know his name should be in the hall of fame. I don’t need to see that this late. The hall has excepted to many that don’t belong. Baseball is just not the same game. Who makes the $$$$ is how it’s promoted. Small market teams have no chance. No 5 tool players

  36. This is BULLSHIT
    Reward the cheater. Why not just let all of the steroid users in. What a great example that you are setting for kids. How about a participation trophy too.

    1. Who are you trying to impress?

      If you have never posted before, I have to approve your post and believe it or not, I do not sit at my keyboard waiting for you.

      Sorry!

      1. Damn Mark, you just attract all the good ones, don’t you?!? ha ha, now you got ol Tom barking up your tree, he sounds like the morons(had to use that ), on the Spectrum LA blog that I see, win or lose it the same ol Fire Roberts, Fire Freidman , blah blah blah, Tom sounds like a keeper!

    3. The rules and judgement been made years ago, it would be unfair to the man and his family to induct him now, I think MLB is hiding information on the scandal that broke this year with Ohtani but what goes in the wash come out in the rinse. I find it hard to believe what is being presented to us thru the media.the baseball gods always show up
      I

  38. Giamatti died “a few weeks later?” You sure? I thought he died a few DAYS later, after banning Pete.

    (Justifiably so, by the way.)

    1. While at his vacation home in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, Giamatti, a heavy smoker for many years, died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 51, eight days after banishing Pete Rose and 154 days into his tenure as commissioner.

  39. A day late and a dollar short for the HOF. Pete should have been inducted while he was alive. He paid his debt to baseball but they maintained a disdain for him regardless. His record speaks for itself. Someone needs to apologize to Pete’s family!!!

  40. Pete should have been in the hall prior to his passing.
    If you look at other sports like MMA, if they can bet and get away with it, why not Pete?
    Especially if it wasn’t intentionally. It’s not like Shoeless Joe betted on a game with shoes/ without shoes. For shits and giggles!
    Pete deserved this prior, kind of like Adam ”
    what’s his name” in the NBA allows all these players to wear spandex!
    Bunch of men in tights but no nostalgia!…..

  41. So you can cheat, by betting on your own team while your the Manager, and cheat by betting on you’re team as a player,

    And get put in the HOF as a cheater!

    Totally disgusting

  42. There are lots of strong opinions. Both Ways! I would purpose that his plaque says something like this:

    Pete Rose aka/Charlie Hustle

    He is the All-Time Hit Leader in Baseball and played the game with hustle and ferocity seldom seen. As a player he was one of the best the game has ever seen, but after he retired as a player, he violated a sacred trust and was banned from baseball due to gambling on the game. He was banned until after his death as a tribute to the high standards baseball holds it’s icons. He is only here now because we cannot erase history and he is part of the fabric of baseball.

    Let this be a lesson to everyone

  43. Pete rose was wrong for betting on the game but it still does not take away his artistry and skill as a baseball player when summertime came you looked forward to baseball time and Pete rose playing I am a cardinal fan but I still loved to watch Pete rose it’s just a shame he had to die to get in the hall of fame he should have been elected before now he did a lot for the game and that is what he should be honored for

  44. He should be in hof other players did worse like drugs give the guy a break i saw him play and he gave it his all every game

  45. I am going to bed. I have to approve each new comment, so if you post tonight, I will not moderate it until tomorrow morning. I have not censured any as yet, as you guys and gals have been respectful (for the most part).

  46. There’s a sign in every locker room in Major league baseball, it says ” there will be no betting on baseball” Pete Rose should NEVER be invited into the Hall of Fame

  47. Having been a classmate of Pete Rose at Western Hills HS, class of 1960, I have followed Pete for years and his style hasn’t changed…drive to win at almost any cost. As a halfback(#55) on our football team at WHHS, Pete was almost unstoppable. On one play, as I recall, Pete was grabbed by every member of the opponent’s defense and they could not stop him. Pete’s professional baseball stats are historic and his drive and these accomplishments must be known to young players so that they can improve their game. And the young players also need to know Pete made a big mistake and he paid mightily for it…we all make mistakes….none of us should be eligible to “cast the first stone” against another person. Pete’s on field accomplishments should be recognized by the HOF and his gambling mistakes should be a side note. If Pete has taught us anything, it is that if we try harder, we can accomplish much more than we thought we could…that has survival value.

  48. Pete Rose embodied what it meant to be not only a professional baseball player, but a professional player in any sport. He was my idol growing up and all of my friends who played baseball and made us better players for it. I am saddened like all who loved watching him play. As a lover of the game, the Hall of Fame is about the best players of the game with all the stats! Hands-down, Pete Rose is the most deserved baseball player in the history of the game. I wish he would have been inducted to partake in all his accomplishments while his was alive. “We will miss you Mr. Pete Rose!

  49. This is WRONG!!! Why now!? This is EVERYTHING HE’S EVER WANTED and they denied him that right!! Now that he’s gone… do they feel guilty about their decision… Such Hypocrisy!!!

  53. PETE ROSE PLAYED BASEBALL THE WAY WE ALL SHOULD PLAY THE GAME OF LIFE. Charlie Hustle deserved to be in well before his sudden demise. The hurt imposed on him by his veering off the path society set at that time became excessive. Pete Rose was a true champion. ⚾️

  55. Yamamoto named game one starter which would make him available for a potential game 5 on his 6 day regular rest, and Flaherty also available on 5 days rest in a “ all hands on deck” scenario.

    These two are going to have to be at the top of their games if the Dodgers are going to prevail.
    Both the Padres and Phillies have much stronger Starting Pitching and you know what they say about good pitching…….

  56. We all make mistakes. “Judge not least ye be judged ” He was one of baseballs greatest players. Put him in the HOF!

  58. It’s beyond time. Both Rose and Shoeless Joe have paid their debts and should be enshrined in Cooperstown. Besides, MLB has no over the HOF. They just bully the HOF.

  59. I’m a baseball fan. Not a person fan. People suck. I’m sure Mother Teresa had her moments. Since I am a fan, I want the greatest players bust put on a pedestal. Mark, I like your idea of the plaque. But it’s too late. It should already be on the wall, dusty.
    As for the so called ped users. Seriously, ball players have been using peds since the Pleistocene era. The greatest players should be in. It matters little if we don’t like the person.
    Book em

  60. His ban was permanent, not lifetime. The league has to actually lift the ban before the BWAA will consider putting him on the ballot.

    This is a subjective blog post with a misleading headline to make it sound like this is something that will automatically happen. Pure clickbait.

    1. Exactly! I bring you here with “clickbait” so I can make money from all the ads.

      Oh, wait… there are none!

      That was a dumb statement! Sorry. No… I’m not!

  61. Dodgers in 4
    Phillies in 5
    Yankees in 4
    Tigers in 5
    Dodgers in 7
    Yankees in 5
    Dodgers in 4

  62. The man was a pervert and a gambler. Betting while a player is plain ole WRONG. Banned permanently means FOREVER. I’m a lifelong Tigers fan. Any of them had done it ide feel the same about them. I love Cooperstown they are right.

  63. Great topic. Lots of passion. Nice diversion before the fun begins.
    Asking for a friend.
    Is Caffeine a Ped? If Manfred banned it?I’ll just let that hang.
    Book em

  64. Rose agreed to a permanent ban not a lifetime ban. Rose violated the no. 1 rule in baseball. Just because he has died doesn’t change that fact. If you let Rose in the HOF then the HOF needs to let Shoeless Joe Jackson into the HOF. Shoeless Joe has been dead lomger.

  65. Ok, I am going to shut this down. What started out as a good debate is degenerating into name calling and empty rhetoric.

    I have found that when some people feel they are losing an argument, the loser resorts to slander.

    Thanks for your civil comments.

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