Forget Gambling, Scandal, Pete Rose Deserves to Be in Hall of Fame

Pete Rose is not a good guy. The Major League Baseball hit king has admitted to gambling on baseball, has been involved in an assortment of scandals for the better part of two decades and is the most noted Hall of Fame snub in the history of the game.

When the name Pete Rose is mentioned, it isn't his record of 4.256 hits or 3.562 games that people remember. Nor is it the all-out effort that earned Pete Rose the nickname Charlie Hustle - instead it's the gambling and scandal that is etched into our minds.

That's exactly the reason Pete Rose will never get into the Hall of Fame - at least not while he is alive. There is one very good reason he has a shot at the Hall of Fame when he's gone - he won't have the opportunity to open his mouth and tell us another lie. That's seems to be the only thing he does these days.

Pete Rose denied betting on baseball for 15 years. He was banned from Major League Baseball in 1989 amidst accusations that he gambled on, and possibly against, the Cincinnati Reds as manager of the team. After his ban, the Hall of Fame voted to exclude those on the "permanently ineligible" list from induction to Cooperstown. Most notably Pete Rose. Since then, Rose has gone public time after time, sticking his foot in his mouth and stepping into another scandal on each occasion.

He came out with his autobiography - My Prison Without Bars - in 2004. In the book, Pete Rose admitted to gambling on baseball games and other sports while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds. This after wholeheartedly denying gambling on baseball for 15 years. In the book he added that he hoped his admissions would help end his ban from baseball - thus negating any chance that Rose was truly sorry. Rose's admission came out just two days after the Baseball Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2004. It was a total publicity stunt - that backfired.

Pete Rose was hoping to get some support for reinstatement and possible induction into the Hall of Fame. Instead, talk of his eligibility for the Hall of Fame suffered after the book went public. the majority of Hall of Fame players refuse to have anything to do with Rose. In 2006, Rose signed balls with the phrase: "I'm sorry I bet on baseball." to an auction company. After catching heat, the auction company took the balls off the market. Rose will do anything to make a buck. Rose was silent for a few months before another scandal arose. On ESPN radio, Pete Rose recently admitted to betting on the Cincinnati Reds every night when he was the manager of the team.

Had Pete Rose just kept quiet since his ban from baseball, his chances of reaching the Hall of Fame would be greatly improved. He has turned out to be his own worst enemy. He has slowly turned from a famous baseball player - one of the best of his era - to one of the most reviled and hated players of all time. He is the O.J. Simpson of Major League Baseball. The truth is, we don't want our baseball heroes linked to gambling and scandal. And when they are involved in scandal, we need a heartfelt apology.

Despite his drawbacks, I still think Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. I personally can't shake the notion of Rose being involved in gambling and scandal, but I also can't deny what he did on the field. I think he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Famers have done worse yet have a place among baseball's elite. Ty Cobb was one of the most hated players of all time and was even accused of killing a man, yet he is in the Hall of Fame.

Rose's ban from baseball was due to his gambling on baseball while he was a manager. All of his stats were in the record books by the time he ever managed a game. He was never a Hall of Fame manager. Pete Rose is the all-time leading hitter in Major League Baseball history. Name a player and Pete Rose is ahead of him. Rose has Hall of Fame credentials in nearly every statistic you can think of. He was a 13-time All-Star as a player, won three batting titles, an MVP award and was Rookie of the Year. He also finished his 24-year career with a .303 batting average. Pete Rose was also an integral part of the Big Red Machine, which went to four World Series -winning two - in the 1970s.

Don't get me wrong, Pete Rose is not a likable guy. You'd be hardpressed to find a Rose fan these days, but like him or not, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. The number simply don't lie.