I have a real beef with Major League Baseball right now, and have had for some time. Pete Rose was an excellent baseball player and would be honored with admittance to the Hall of Fame, except for an incident (or two) that occurred off the playing field.

I mean, if the guy is a great baseball player shouldn’t he be in the baseball Hall of Fame? After all, isn’t the Hall of Fame for great baseball players? Or is it for people with spotless lives? Are we only allowing people with perfect moral and criminal records into the HoF? Will Barry Bonds be allowed to be in the HoF? He is by no means perfect anymore.

The SmartPastor says, “When you use HGH or some other performance enhancing drug, you are doing so to improve your performance. One would do the same when the cork their bat, scuff a baseball prior to throwing it, or throwing a spit ball…But when you bet on baseball, especially when your team is involved, you are not automatically doing so with the intent to win nor are you doing it with the best interests of your team in mind.”

Is this not obvious first of all? I doubt Pete Rose was thinking much about his team when he was placing his bets. Of course he was gambling with his personal money.

Let’s not get carried away here. We’re assuming that Pete Rose actually bet on baseball, something that Pete Rose denied on Aug. 24, 1989 in a 5 page agreement with MLB and former commissioner Giamatti. Regardless of the fact that Rose later admitted to gambling and betting on his own team, at this time he was still denying it. Yet, he was banned for appearing on the ballot until 2005 IF the commissioner reinstates his appeal.

Later, Rose went to jail for tax fraud and served his time. Fast forward to 2002 when baseball agrees to let Rose be part of MasterCard’s Memorable Moments promotion. Something that shouldn’t be done for someone banned from baseball right? Well it was good for baseball and very profitable. (more info)

So should Pete Rose be allowed to be on the ballot to be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Absolutely. Disagree? Tell me why?

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