Major League Baseball hit king Pete Rose is a gambler and a liar. These are undisputed facts. After his lifetime ban from baseball for gambling, an accusation he steadfastly denied for nearly 15 years, he finally admitted to the world in 2004 that he did bet on baseball. Now he only came clean about his gambling when he was promoting his book in 2004, so we can probably add self-seeking opportunist to the gambler and liar list. But are those really enough reasons to keep a man with 4,256 hits out of the Hall Of Fame?
Yesterday, MLB Players Union Chief Michael Weiner, during a Q&A session at the National Press Club in Washington said the following;
“The Hall of Fame is for the best baseball players who have ever played,” Weiner said, according to the Times. “Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. He has more hits than anybody else.”
But he played the game like a prick. Hard slides, dirty uniforms, and running over catchers was a good days work for Rose. Winning was the most important thing for the man coined Charlie Hustle.
Is it time to let the man with 17 All Star game appearances in the Hall Of Fame? The man with more hits than anyone, more games played, and more at bats than anyone? I think it is.
