I don’t see how people can still think that Pete Rose still needs to be barred from the Baseball Hall of Fame. In a recent ESPN article, it says that Rose bet on his team every night while he was the coach of the Reds from 1984 to 1989. Because of this betting he has been permanently been banned from the game of Major League Baseball and the Baseball Hall of Fame (in separate votes). He’s asked to be re-instated but has been denied.

Earlier this week on The Dan Patrick Show, the Former Charlie Hustle admitted that he bet on his team everyday, and not four days a week. He did this because “I love my team, I believe in my team. I did everything in my power every night to win that game.” He took his love and belief of his team a little too far by bringing them into his gambling addiction. Unlike “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, who actually threw a games in the 1919 World Series, Rose never threw games. Like Rose, Jackson belongs on the same list of players that have “banned for life”. As he has said, that he did everything in his power to win those games. It’s not like he dropped a flyball or struck out on purpose with the bases loaded.

His stats as a player speak for themselves. He is easily one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game. He played the with the “give it 110%” attitude every day. He owns many Major League and several other National League records, some of which are in a territory that most likely won’t be ever broken, or at least in the near future. These records include : Most games played (3,562) , Most Hits (4,256),Most consecutive season with 600 at-bats (13 with 17 total), and not to mention he’s the only player in Major League history that has played at least 500 games at 5 different position (1B, LF, 3B, 2B, RF). On top of his individual feats, he also has three world series rings, and 17 All-Star Selections. According to Baseball-Reference.com, the only person with a high HOF Monitor score that isn’t already isn’t in the Hall of Fame, according to their algorithms, is Barry Bonds. His score is 313, with 100 a likely Hall of Famer.

The thing that really kills me is how some players were on the “banned list”, but re-instated and are now Hall of Famers. Let’s take Chicago Cub “Fergie” Jenkins. He was banned in 1980 after customs found a small bit of cocaine on him. He was banned for the rest of the season. Before the following season, an “independent arbiter” re-instated him to where he finished off his career, and leading to a Hall of Fame election in 1991. He was the first player to banned for a drug offense. While this may have been a bit drastic, he was still re-instated. Now, looking at Mr. George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, paid a private investigator $40,000, in 1990, to “dig up dirt” on Dave Winfield (another Hall of Famer), to “discredit him”. His son took over the team while he was banned. Bud Selig, the current commissioner of Major League Baseball, re-instated him in 1993 when he took over for Fay Vincent.

When Rose applied to be re-instated in 1997, Selig never acted upon the application. Riddle me this Batman: How is what Rose did anything worse than what Steinbrenner did? In a public statement Selig said he saw no reason to reconsider his punishment. I think to myself, “NO REASON?!?!”, he’s only one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game of baseball. He wasn’t given the nickname “Charlie Hustle” for no reason. There was no evidence (at the time), that proved that he ever voted against the Reds. I think, why not give him a probationary re-instatement with the following criteria: He can not bet any sports, baseball or otherwise; he can not coach for a few years while he’s on a “probationary” period; finally he signs an agreement to promote anti-gambling among sports players, while they are playing. I can almost guarantee you that players are betting on sports today with the salaries they have, and how popular sports betting is these days. Heck, you can bet on sports with out even leaving your computer now. He’s fully admitted his faults in his book and in interviews.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of Bud Selig, but hopefully when he retires, the next commissioner will allow Pete Rose to be re-instated in baseball, in turn getting his number retired with the Reds, and getting his plaque along side his teammates, Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench. Bret Saberhagen, a former pitcher for the Kansas City Royals has publicly said that he would turn down his entry, which is unlikely, until Pete Rose was re-instated. His time will come some day, mark my words, they will come.