Monday, March 10, 2014

Pete Rose Just Won't Go Away

Like cockroaches after a nuclear blast, Pete Rose will not go away.

This week's Sports Illustrated features Rose on the cover and an excerpt from a new book on Rose by Kostya Kennedy.  Kennedy, by the way, wrote a book on Joe DiMaggio's fifty-six game hitting streak a few years back that was an excellent read.  He took a topic that had been written about endlessly and came up with something fresh and interesting. Perhaps, he will do the same with the subject of Pete Rose, but I'm not interested in reading it, although I did read the SI excerpt.

Those who know me know my feelings towards Pete Rose, but let me summarize them once again.

There is no question that Rose was great ball-player.  There is also no question that he was not a nice guy and is a money-grubbing hustler in the most pejorative sense of the word. If you disagree on that, read that part of the SI excerpt about how Rose almost didn't show up at the Great American Ball Park in 2010 on the night that the Reds, after getting permission from the Commissioner's office, were going to honor him on the 25th anniversary of his record-breaking 4,192nd hit.


He also, indisputably, undeniably broke baseball's most sacrosanct rule by betting in baseball games.  His punishment is fully deserved and should never be rescinded.

And for the Rose fans who say that he deserves recognition by the Hall of Fame, I suggest that you visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.  Rose's presence is well documented in the Museum portion of the that institution.  All-time hits leader?  Yeah, it's Pete Rose.  Great teams in history? The Big Red Machine and Pete are there for you to see.  Lists of MVP's?  Yep, there's Pete Rose's name listed right there before you.  He does not, nor should he, have a plaque in the Hall of Fame portion of that institution in Cooperstown, but he is hardly a non-person.

The latest defense that the Rose-ophiles now throw at you is "Well, what about all those steroids guys? Why are that allowed in the Hall of Fame?"  It is an interesting point, but I can also remind you that none of those guys have been voted into the HOF as yet, either.  (Oh, and by the way, the accomplishments and records of guys like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Roger Clemens are also fully recognized in the Museum as well.)

As I said, I probably will not read Kennedy's book, because I am pretty much tired of Pete Rose. I would like to say that this will be the last time I ever comment upon him, but I am pretty sure it won't be, because, as I said in the beginning, some things just never go away.

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