Today is the 25th Anniversary of Pete Rose's lifetime ban. Should he be reinstated?

Austin · Aug 24, 2014

25 years ago today, on August 24th, 1989, Pete Rose was given a lifetime ban by MLB Commissioner, Bart Giamatti, for betting on baseball.

Most fans, including me, think Rose should be reinstated by the new commissioner and be eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot.
He's 73 years old and I think he's paid his time.

Remember, just because Rose is on the HOF ballot doesn't mean he'll be elected. There are still members of the media who hold a grudge, and Rose could get low vote totals like Bonds, Clemens, etc.

What do you think? Should Rose be reinstated to MLB after 25 years?

David Anthony · Aug 24, 2014

Players that used steroids used PEDs arent banned for life! HOW BOUT IT! Reinstate Pete! HOW BOUT IT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpZT4EpnaSE

Kennesawsportscards · Aug 24, 2014

Probably in the minority here...But Never......He broke the one rule every player knows...DO NOT BET ON YOUR SPORT.....

ccouch (Chad) · Aug 24, 2014

Pete was one of my favorite players as I was growing up as a Reds fan toward the end of his career.

But in no way should this guy ever be reinstated. Gambling on the game is an unforgivable offense.

I couldn't care less about him being on the HOF ballot. Even if the rules were changed to allow banned players on the ballot, Rose would never get close to election anyway. And he has nobody to blame but himself.

David Anthony · Aug 24, 2014

Kennesawsportscards said:
Probably in the minority here...But Never......He broke the one rule every player knows...DO NOT BET ON YOUR SPORT.....

Ahh its ok. He supposedly never bet against the Reds when he was a manager. HOW BOUT IT!

OscarOne · Aug 24, 2014

Yup. I don't get the people who are pulling for him. Nobody denies that he was a great player, but he broke a cardinal rule. This is not a grey area like PEDs. And to excuse him would cause more harm then good, since it might signal a softening of the rules against other personnel who might want to do the same. He is the sacrificial lamb in this deal--but he volunteered for the position.

jbhofmann · Aug 24, 2014

Are we naive enough to believe that no other HOF member bet on baseball?

I'm guessing the number is close to 25%.

gt2590 · Aug 24, 2014

I say NO, at least not before "Shoeless" Joe is eligible and he'll be voted in ALOT quicker than Pete.

Plus, I don't think Pete is sincere in his apologies, I just don't...

OscarOne · Aug 24, 2014

But we are not talking about those other players, we are talking about Rose. He broke the rules, got caught and now has to pay the price. We should be talking about Shoeless Joe before anyone anyway.

And yea, Rose does not seem sincere. And about 15 years late in apologizing.

Austin · Aug 24, 2014

gt2590 said:
Plus, I don't think Pete is sincere in his apologies, I just don't...

OscarOne said:
And yea, Rose does not seem sincere. And about 15 years late in apologizing.

So what does Rose have to do or say to "seem sincere"?
No matter how many times a famous person apologizes, critics say it's not sincere or he's faking it. A person can cry his eyes out and beg for foregiveness, and critics will say he's just upset because he was caught, or he's trying to sell books.

Yes, Rose should have apologized much sooner, and living in Las Vegas is not helping his cause, but at what point does a person's apology "seem sincere"?

Sig40cal · Aug 24, 2014

[SIZE=-1]"The banishment for life of Pete Rose from baseball is the sad end of a sorry episode. One of the game's greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts. By choosing not to come to a hearing before me, and by choosing not to proffer any testimony or evidence contrary to the evidence and information contained in the report of the Special Counsel to the Commissioner, Mr. Rose has accepted baseball's ultimate sanction, lifetime ineligibility." [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Statement by then Commissioner[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of Baseball, A. Bartlett Giamatti,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]August 24, 1989

I'm just gonna leave /\ that there
[/SIZE]

Austin · Aug 24, 2014

Sig40cal said:
[SIZE=-1]"The banishment for life of Pete Rose from baseball is the sad end of a sorry episode. One of the game's greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts. By choosing not to come to a hearing before me, and by choosing not to proffer any testimony or evidence contrary to the evidence and information contained in the report of the Special Counsel to the Commissioner, Mr. Rose has accepted baseball's ultimate sanction, lifetime ineligibility." [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Statement by then Commissioner[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of Baseball, A. Bartlett Giamatti,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]August 24, 1989

I'm just gonna leave /\ that there [/SIZE]

You left out one very important exception from Giamatti:

Giamatti granted Rose one concession: Rose could apply for reinstatement once a year for as long as he lived after ten years. Rose has applied for reinstatement several times but has been rejected each time by Commissioner Bud Selig.
A commissioner has the power to overturn a lifetime ban, and we get a new commissioner this January.

gt2590 · Aug 24, 2014

Austin said:
Yes, Rose should have apologized much sooner, and living in Las Vegas is not helping his cause, but at what point does a person's apology "seem sincere"?

,

He keeps bringing up others and their offenses, mostly steroids, and saying they are bigger crimes since he says he never bet against his team.

He also keeps betting on other sports, very often. While not illegal or against baseball rules, it certainly doesn't help his case.

I just think he's saying what he thinks people wanna here, not that he is truly remorseful...

As said, I don't even care that much either way, but Isn't it telling that there are some HOFers, including former teammates, that aren't on his Side?

jbhofmann · Aug 24, 2014

Someone, anyone, please explain the stain he left on baseball.

Sig40cal · Aug 24, 2014

Austin said:
[/INDENT][/INDENT]You left out one very important exception from Giamatti:

Giamatti granted Rose one concession: Rose could apply for reinstatement once a year for as long as he lived after ten years. Rose has applied for reinstatement several times but has been rejected each time by Commissioner Bud Selig.
A commissioner has the power to overturn a lifetime ban, and we get a new commissioner this January.

I was talking about the not wanting to show to a hearing to clear his own name or provide any evidence whatsoever that he did not in fact bet on baseball. The Dowd report had(has) him dead to rights as a habitual baseball gambler. He broke the rules when he wanted and then wanted to get into the HOF, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

OscarOne · Aug 24, 2014

http://www.amazon.com/Pete-Autographed-Signed-Baseball-Sorry/dp/B007BSMTQC

Austin said:
So what does Rose have to do or say to "seem sincere"?
No matter how many times a famous person apologizes, critics say it's not sincere or he's faking it. A person can cry his eyes out and beg for foregiveness, and critics will say he's just upset because he was caught, or he's trying to sell books.

Yes, Rose should have apologized much sooner, and living in Las Vegas is not helping his cause, but at what point does a person's apology "seem sincere"?

Not doing crap like this would be a good start. Or this:

http://www.amazon.com/Pete-Autographed-Signed-Baseball-Sorry/dp/B007BSMTQC

Austin · Aug 24, 2014

jbhofmann said:
Someone, anyone, please explain the stain he left on baseball.

It seems that most Rose haters are more against his brash personality, autograph signings, living in Vegas, previous denial and perception of an insincere apology, than what he actually did.

Selig also doesn't want to be the commissioner that rules agains Bart Giamatti, who died suddenly soon after the Rose ruling.
If Giamatti were still alive, Selig may have already reinstated him, but there's no way he's ruling against a beloved man whose death many people blame on the stress of the Rose ordeal.

If Rose had been caught gambling on baseball a few years later, after he already made the Hall of Fame, he would not have been kicked out of the Hall.
It's the timing pre-HOF eligibility that makes it a big deal.

RStadlerASU22 · Aug 24, 2014

No one IMO should be left off the ballot. Shoeless , Pete , any steroid connect etc. Put em on , let the voting take care of the rest.

Ryan

Austin · Aug 24, 2014

RStadlerASU22 said:
No one IMO should be left off the ballot. Shoeless , Pete , any steroid connect etc. Put em on , let the voting take care of the rest.

I agree 100%.
And the Hall of Fame is not even owned nor run by Major League Baseball. It's a private non-profit organization.
Not many fans realize that.

The Hall of Fame Museum was founded by a hotel owner, as a way to bring tourists to a city hurt by the Great Depression.

As for Rose not being on the ballot, the Hall of Fame rules committee didn't even have a rule against banned players until the Rose ruling.
Shoeless Joe was on the HOF ballot for years, but stubborn voters refused to elect him.

gt2590 · Aug 24, 2014

Austin said:
It seems that most Rose haters are more against his brash personality, autograph signings, living in Vegas, previous denial and perception of an insincere apology, than what he actually did.

A coupla supporters of his, specifically Schmidt and Morgan, have even admitted his attitude and actions are part of the problem. IMO those actions show a lack of sincere remorse.

You also need to remember Hank Aaron, a huge critic of Rose, is perhaps Selig's favorite person in the world and that doesn't help Pete either...

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