Why Pete Rose Should Be in the Hall of Fame

Any kind of sports fan knows the name Pete Rose, aka Charlie Hustle, aka the "Hit King". Weather fans love him or hate him, they will all agree that he was one of the best baseball players of all time. After the all he is time Major-League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), and at bats (14,053). He won three World Series championships, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves awards, the Rookie of the Year Award, and made 17 All-Star appearances at five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B, and 1B).

On the other hand all fans will also agree that Charlie Hustle has managed to strike out in life outside of baseball. In 1989 he was banished for life from baseball amidst gambling accusations that he bet on baseball while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Rose publicly lied about about his involvement in gambling for 15 years until finally coming clean in his autobiography "My prison without bars". Speaking of prison, Rose has also spent time there. In 1990, Rose pleaded guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns not showing income he received from selling autographs, memorabilia, and from horse racing winnings. Rose was sentenced to five months in federal prison and fined $50,000.

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown honors the greatest baseball players of all time, NOT the greatest moral men of all time. Baseball officials refuse to let Rose in because he gambled on the game. Now as a former minor league player I am not making an excuse for Rose because in every club house a sign states: "Gambling on the game results in banishment from the game." Rose should never be let back into baseball, however he should be in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is Full of men of questionable moral character. Ty Cobb was a murder, a drunk, a racist, and a wife beater but this did not keep him out of Cooperstown. Orlando Cepeda was convicted of smuggling 160 pounds of pot into the United States and spent 10 months in Federal prison, but that did not keep him out of the Hall of Fame. Dennis Eckersly admitted to snorting cocaine in the clubhouse and that did not keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

By excluding Rose from the Hall of Fame, baseball is sending a message to America that gambling is worse than murder, wife beating, and drug smuggling. Today we know gambling is a sickness and can treated. Rose is obviously a sick person and I doubt he can ever be helped, but this does not excuse baseball from their narrow minded ruling. The Hall of Fame is the greatest baseball players of all time, not the greatest moral characters of all time. If you still think Rose should not be in the Hall of Fame, I am sure you and Major League baseball would agree that all the drunk, wife beating, racist, dope heads, drug smugglers, and murders in the Hall should be kicked out of the Hall of Fame.