Guys, I've gotten my first assignment for the newspaper. I'm writing a column on Pete Rose and whether he should be in or out of baseball/HOF.

 

I would like to hear some opinions/facts on the subject from you guys.

I think he should not get in the hall of fame... Whether he gets re-instated or not is not an issue to me.

 

I think that once you have done something as bad as what he did, you should be automatically disqualified from becoming a Hall of famer. The guy sure was a great player, but he is a scum bag and Hall of Famers should have a spotless curriculum vitae IMO. But that's just me!

i used to think he should but after these last few days ive changed my mind. the man doesnt come out and admit it, instead he writes it in a book to profit and chooses for the book to come out the week the writers vote for the new inductions. and the belief is that he is STILL lying. all he says it happened, forget it. thats his answer for everything, its embarrassing and for that ive changed my mind and thinks he should be kept out.

oo, editorial writing. do you have to take a side, WC? or are you just presenting both sides of the case?

oo, editorial writing. do you have to take a side, WC? or are you just presenting both sides of the case?

I write my personal opinion on the subject, but I want to open my mind to any and all sides.

in.

 

his stats speak for themselves

Should not be.

 

1. He still gambled, and it is is black and white not too.

 

2. He knowlingly perpetuated a lie.

 

3. This will make people demand shoeless joe to be in (and he helped throw the most sacred of any events, the world series)

 

4. Major league sports has a major credibility problem. With steroids and rampant cheating, they have to make it appear some rules will stand.

 

5. It is good for the sport to retain such a precedent.

 

6. It disgraces HOFers that followed the rules.

This is difficult for me based on the stupidity Rose has shown this week, but I say he still is in and here's why.

 

1. He bet on the game as a manager, not a player, therefore I think that needs to be seperated, and after all, Rose is trying to get in as a player.

 

2. With reason #1 in mind, Rose's numbers are better than just about anybody's ever, and therefore based on numbers, Rose is just about a unanimous (sp?) first ballot hall of famer.

 

3. There are, among other things, rapists, racists, drug addicts, and even somebody that a lot of people think is a murderer (Ty Cobb) in the hall of fame. And gambling, although a SERIOUS crime when based on your own sport, pales in comparision to some things others in the hall of fame have done.

 

So therefore, I think Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, but not allowed to be involved in ANY major league baseball operations.

What the heck, let's have them all get in! It is not so special anyway... Right???

in.

 

his stats speak for themselves

That's my take on the subject in a nutshell.

i don't think he should be in baseball or in the hall of fame. i'll tell you why.

 

yes, he was a superb player. did he bet on baseball while he was a player? though there is no evidence of it, i think it's pretty safe to say that he probably did.

 

had he retired at that point, he would be in the hall of fame and this wouldn't even be an issue.

 

as a manager, he took advantage of his position to make monetary gain. through his status in baseball, he could bet on games using his inside information and make a profit. it's reported that he would contact other managers to get more inside information about games. he even bet on baseball games while in the clubhouse.

 

pete lied about his actions and continued to do so until recently, when he admitted part of the truth so he could cash in on his book's release.

 

there is no question that he gave a black eye to major league baseball with his unethical and unforgiveable behavior. any player caught betting on baseball would never be allowed to play again, let alone have a place in the hall of fame.

 

pete rose was caught while manager of the reds. it comes down to this: do you think he deserved punishment for his behavior? obviously, the answer is yes.

 

MLB has to impose a punishment that is consistent with the magnitude of his crime against the sport. people aren't kept out of the hall of fame because of their moral character; that isn't my argument at all. but when it comes to the integrity of the sport itself--major league baseball--pete rose's transgressions were in the highest bracket of severity. pete rose is a corrupt individual who hurt the sport with his actions.

 

if MLB only decided to keep a retired all-star from managing in the future, the punishment would amount to a slap on the wrist. think about it. what kind of real punishment can MLB give to pete rose?

 

ban him from managing? please. the punishment needs teeth. he was more than just a corrupt individual. he perverted the sport.

 

it's not like people will never know about pete rose's on-the-field accomplishments if he is prevented from entering the hall of fame. everyone will always know what a great ballplayer he was. think for a moment about the true significance of being enshrined in cooperstown.

 

banning him from the hall of fame is really the only suitable punishment MLB can give him, but it will never diminish what a great baseball player he was. it's a purely symbolic gesture that could never take away his well-deserved recognition for his baseball talent.

oh, WC, if you want to read some good opinions on it, read this article:

 

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sports/cst-spt-voters09.html

 

actually, i'll just quote the piece i liked the best. it's a good one and makes some good points:

NO - TONI GINNETTI

 

The Hall of Fame already recognizes Pete Rose as the game's all-time hits leader, the achievement his supporters always bring up to urge his induction. It shouldn't have to include a plaque of honor to a man who sold out the game.

 

Rose has raised more questions than answers in admitting he gambled on baseball. Already a convicted felon for tax evasion -- and isn't that a crime against every lawful taxpayer -- Rose wagered big money, and big wagers are the sole domain of organized crime

 

Rose says he only bet his Cincinnati Reds teams to win, but that begs the question of what was going on in the games he didn't bet on.

 

A man betting big money usually owes his bookies, and Rose was betting on more than just baseball. Crime experts know there are other ways to satisfy your debtors without necessarily "dropping a dime'' on a team to win. So what might manager Rose have been doing for his bookies in the games he wasn't betting?

 

That is the reason all of professional sports is so concerned about gambling. That is the cardinal rule Rose flaunted, lied about and appears to be continuing to lie about. I'm not convinced the full extent of his crimes has been uncovered.

 

Never.

'zoid, you are correct.

Here's what I have so far:

 

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Rose: Does he belong?

 

You could argue that Pete Rose should not be there for the integrity (or lack there of) that he has shown over the past fourteen years. He bet on baseball, he lied, he was imprisoned, but there is one thing that Pete Rose has done that cannot be denied or ignored: he played the game as well and as hard as anybody ever has. End of story.

 

He accumulated more hits in his twenty-four years as a major league baseball player than anyone else in history (4,256). He also posted a career record of 412-373 as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Anyone who can put up statistics such as those in a game that has so much emphasis placed on stats should be in the Hall of Fame. In my opinion, it is bad for baseball to keep a legend of the game out of the place that legends are remembered and embraced.

 

Something that amazes me personally is the fact that gambling is prohibited and if committed, can result in being barred from major league baseball, yet there is no rule preventing or punishing the use of performance enhancing drugs (steroids).

What do you consider worse: someone gambling on baseball, or a player using steroids to play at a higher level? I don?t know about you, but I think if anything diminishes the integrity of baseball, it?s the anonymous ?cheaters? that try to stay on top as they age and their careers slowly but surely diminish.

 

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It's a work in progress, but I'm getting there.