Pete Rose in the HOF? Yes or no?

You know, I can't say exactly what Pete did or didn't do. But I do know that he played the game as though winning was everything. I think that's why he gambles, too. He just wants to win.

I certainly think he harmed the integrity of the game, but I also think we'd be naive to believe that he's the only athlete who went into a game with no interest in winning it. A lot of guys dog it late in the season, and a lot of guys put their own interests before the team's.

 

Eddie Cicotte, Chick Gandil and Lefty Williams (three of the Black Sox for which there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever they intentionally tanked games) played really hard sometimes, too. Hal Chase, the all-time game-fixing champion of MLB, played real well at times too.

So what?

 

I think you may have just hit on the biggest reason that gambling and sports can't mix (at least when active participants are concerned). Sooner or later, I've got to believe, winning the bet is going to take precedence over everything else.

By the way, this is my 100th post! Does that mean I can stop buying the beer now? ;D

 

should be end of thread.

 

I completely see where you come from with that post. But I think this is a huge philosophic quandary. What a lot of people are saying is that Rose should have a spot in the Hall of Fame based upon his track record as a player. We can still hate him, but perhaps we can do so after recognizing his accomplishments on the field. It's a tough call. It's like someone you loved has been discovered sleeping with your greatest enemy.

Regardless, I've always felt that it's an injustice for folks who never watched an athlete play to judge his contribution to the game. I'm 34, and I only saw his Phillies days. I can't imagine the perspective of a 28-year-old sportswriter. I hope that those who weigh in on this topic actually followed the guy's career. After all, there was a time when Fred Lynn's 28 homers was praise-worthy.

 

Hey, that's pretty catchy!

 

jesus christ. the man pissed on the game of baseball, period.

there are two things every player knows in professional baseball: one is the floors are slippery in the showers and the second is you'll get thrown out of the game if you bet on it. guess what the fuck rose did? he bet on the game. and you know as well as i, if he bet on baseball, even if it were to win every time, his bets still affected the outcome of games.

 

i obviously can see why you're a rose fan. if i thought baseball was a steaming pile of shit, i'd be a fan of the game's biggest asshole, too.

 

So did you see the man play the game?

 

Out.
His gambling activities were connected to baseball.

 

1. Pete Rose wagers on baseball games while the Reds' manager.

2. Baseball reacts to Pete Rose's betting by throwing him out of the game and keeping him out of the Hall of Fame.

3. Baseball forgets about the fan, schedules all World Series games at night

4. A night at the ballpark rises to $160 for a family of 4.

I'm wondering which of these four things set baseball back the least.

 

Shot, no major sport has taken as many black eyes and shots to the groin as baseball. The sport is still around.