The Biggest sports story in the past couple weeks has centered OFF the playing field. The MLB HOF committee has decided to allow PETE ROSE into the Hall of Fame since he has passed away. He had been forbidden to enter the HOF preciously due to his gambling on MLB games. There are strong feelings each way….should he be allowed in or is he permanently kept out?

…There is no question that Pete Rose had a terrific career on the baseball field. He piled up some impressive, almost unbelievable, statistics. The following are some of  the MLB RECORDS that he holds currently.

 He was a leader on a team that won 3 World Series titles, 3 batting titles, 1 MVP player Award, 2 Gold Glove Awards, and the Rookie of the Year Award.

…He made 17 All-Star appearances in his career in an unequaled five different positions (2b LF, RF, 3b, and 1b). He won 2 Gold Glove Awards when he was an outfielder in 1969 and 1970. He also has the 3rd longest hit streak in MLB history at 44, and remains the last player to hit safely in 40 or more consecutive games.

…He piled up a prolific number of MLB records.  118 MLB records to be exact! The following is a partial list, some of the most prominent (from my view) MLB records which Pete Rose holds.

Most career at-bats – 14,053 #1 in MLB history; Most career plate appearances – 15890 Most career hits – 4,256;  Most career singles – 3,215; Most career times on base – 5,929;

Most career outs – 10,328; Most career games played – 3,562;                                                             Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more hits – 23;Most career winning games played – 1,972 Only player to play at least 500 games at FIVE different positions – 1B (939), LF (671), 3B (634), 2B (628), RF (595);    Most seasons of 200 or more hits – 10 (TIED w/Ichiro SuzukI                      Most CONSECUTIVE seasons of 100 or more hits – 23 Most CONSECUTIVE seasons with 600 or more at-bats – 13 (1968–1980) Most seasons with 150 or more games played – 17; Most seasons with 100 or more games played – 23

National League records:

Most consecutive years played – 24; Most career runs – 2,165; Most career doubles – 746; Most career games with 5 or more hits – 10; Rose also had 63 four-hit games in his career. Modern (post-1900) NL record for longest consecutive-game hitting streak NL – 44; Modern record for most hitting streaks of 20 or more consecutive games – 7

…Clearly Rose’s on-the-field production should have opened up the Hall of Fame Door easily.  But, Pete Rose had other issues—namely, betting! Word got “around” and on August 24, 1989, MLB Commissioner Bart Giamatti, who was determined to keep MLB “clean,” prevailed upon Pete Rose to agree voluntarily to remain permanently ineligible to play baseball for his gambling “issues”.

….It was/is easy to understand why Giamatti made his ruling. In April 1989, Giamatti became the commissioner and opened an official investigation into Rose, hiring John Dowd to handle the investigation. Dowd spoke with bookmakers and other “runners” claiming to be associated with Rose. Among those was his “friend”–Paul Janszen. Janszen claimed Rose said he would consider throwing a game if a large enough bet was placed on it!  It was common knowledge that Rose would check with the managers of the other teams before games to ask about the health of opposing players. This also would impact his placing bets on their teams. This wasn’t just a spur of the moment thing for Rose. He was heavily involved in gambling. Yet he thought he was invincible.  He would talk about his gambling in front of a many different people.

…in 1989, Rose came under scrutiny by the league for allegations over placing bets on baseball after several betting slips belonging to Rose were found in an Ohio restaurant. A Sports Illustrated report connected the owner of the restaurant, Ron Peters, and one of Rose’s friends, Paul Janszen, as both having run bets for Rose. Janszen claimed Rose would signal bets to him from the dugout during games, which Rose called ridiculous. (who do YOU believe on that exchange?). Janszen claimed Rose said he would consider throwing a game if a large enough bet was placed on it.

… Rose denied everything and filed a lawsuit to halt the hearing with Giamatti. The lawsuit — filed in Ohio’s Hamilton County, home county of the Reds — was successful. A temporary restraining order was placed to delay Rose’s hearing with Giamatti. Giamatti successfully removed the case from federal court, and to avoid further court battles, Rose and Giamatti entered settlement agreements.

…In Rose’s memoir, he admitted for the first time publicly to betting on baseball. He also admitted to betting on the Reds, the team for whom he was the manager.  “For me, the thrill wasn’t about the odds. I got involved because I was rooting for my teams — no, believing in my teams. I bet the Reds to win every time. I bet the Phillies (who he played for) to win even though they were huge underdogs and on a losing streak,” Rose wrote. “It wasn’t the smart way to bet. But it was my gut feeling … and I always bet with my guy. I never — ever — bet against my teams. If I had, I’d be doubting everything I believed in. And, hell, to my way of thinking, we were going to win every night. You can’t be a competitor and think otherwise.” The Dowd report also found evidence of him betting on Reds games in 1985, 1986 and 1987. In 1987, the report concluded he bet on 52 Reds games and the Reds won on 29 of the bets. Now….as a fan I’m appalled by these statements. ….… noting Rose had lost $450,000 in a 3-month span in 1987. Before games, Rose would ask about the health of opposing players before placing bets on their teams. It’s hard to have any sympathy for Rose when you learn of the many games that he gambled on as a manager!

…In August 1989 (his last year as a manager and 3 years after retiring as a player), Rose was penalized with “permanent ineligibility” from baseball including Hall of Fame recognition. It was due to the accusations that he gambled on baseball games while he played for and managed the Reds. The charges of wrongdoing included claims that he bet on his own team. …In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban those players who are on the “permanently ineligible” list from induction into the HOF. After years of public denial, Rose admitted in 2004 that he bet on baseball and on the Reds repeatedly. The issue of his election to the Hall of Fame remained contentious throughout the baseball world.

…Rose was a “favorite” of many fans outside of Cincinnati. Some of my relatives loved Pete Rose. His constant sprinting on & off the field was very pleasing to them. “Why can’t all the players be like Pete Rose” was a common theme that I heard from them. Of course, they had no idea of the gambling issues of Pete Rose.

……Pete Rose passed away—Sept 30, 2024 at the age of 83 years old.  I couldn’t find any evidence at all that he was remorseful for his gambling throughout much of his career.

…Now that Pete Rose has died, the MLB commissioner has made a ruling that Rose could be admitted to the MLB Hall of Fame.

…This is the start of change to the entrance into the Baseball HOF. Already, Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the board of the Hall of Fame, said Manfred’s decision will allow Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson and others to be considered by the Historical Overview Committee. They will “develop the ballot of eight names for the Classic Baseball Era Committee … to vote on when it meets next in December 2027.” Rose and Jackson would need 12 of 16 votes to win induction. It is expected that Rose & Jackson will be approved for the HOF!

… I’ve waffled back & forth on “is this the right thing to do”. Because a man dies, does it change what he did? Not to me! Rose, from what I’ve read, was never sorry for his actions. It seemed that he was never phased by the idea that gambling is illegal and that it may impact his decisions in the course of a game. That could change the outcome of the game.

…. I realize that he was maybe the best player in baseball for several years. But his constant gambling of big money has to make me, or anyone, very skeptical of his integrity during the baseball games that he had bet on prior to the game. Those bets had to impact the outcome of games to solve his gambling “needs” of the day. His lack of remorse for tainting the game. His “gambling illness” wasn’t a 1 year deal…it was for most of his career.

…Soooo….I would NOT let him in the HOF. The door should not be opened because you DIE! The facts haven’t changed…he broke a golden rule(don’t gamble) of the MLB and did it repeatedly w/o any remorse. In fact, he was more of an “in your face” type of guy. He denied it for years. He was very haughty about it. Why do we reward him now? The facts didn’t change. The only change was the death of Pete Rose. Does that now make those actions disappear? Or change? Or become more acceptable?

… Further, Pete Rose always knew that gambling was prohibited despite all the warnings. Nonetheless, Rose acted as if he was “above” the rules.  Soooo from my perspective, Pete Rose should keep looking at the HOF from the outside. There STILL are some RULES that must be followed…even by the superstar players.

..I’m anxious to read YOUR thoughts.  It caused me several days to think about this situation. I went back & forth. Thanks for your read & response! Bob