That answer is obvious-- it's the Oriole Bird (but that only applies to my former niece/goddaughter. We have to get to a Phillies game to show her the best mascot in all of sports). Jayson Stark has a pretty good article about his opinion of Pete Rose's chances of entering the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Earlier tonight, I caught an episode of 60 minutes on ESPN Classic regarding Pete Rose. All of this talking about Pete Rose, got me thinking-- who is the bigger villian?
Is it the guy who has the most career hits all-time? Or is it maybe the guy who has most career homeruns? Was it a former Red and Phillie who owns a highly coveted and nearly impossible to break record? Or was it a current Yankee? A former Yankee? Maybe it was even a really bad backup catcher. Heck, it's very possible it was a favorite player of mine.
Who did the game more wrong? Who made a history of statistics and sabermetrics worthless? It wasn't the guy who played harder than at least 17 other people when he took the field. He didn't hurt the game any. He certainly hurt himself. Then he lied; for many years he continued his lie. There's no doubt in my mind that Peter Edward Rose, Sr. is a complete fool. But that's not because he made an illegal bet on a game as he was a manager. It's because his ego got in the way. He thought he was bigger than the game (sounds a lot like most of the links above).
It's my opinion that the player with the most career hits ever should be a member of the club of the that honors the best players ever to play that game. It is also my opinion the player with the most career homeruns should NOT be in that club. Why? I'm so glad you asked.
Pete Rose is banned from the HoF because he bet on baseball games in which the team he was managing played. That broke a rule. Barry Bonds took steriods-- sure he never admitted it, but it took Rose 14 years to admit what he had done (I'll see you in 2021, Barry.) Bonds never broke a rule of baseball. So what?! He disgraced the game, just like Bart Giamatti said Pete Rose did. Pete Rose didn't cheat as a player. Every player who's taken PEDs cheated.
So if you ask me who is the bigger villian, it's not a guy who broke the rules-- it's each and every player who used a substance (even if it wan't illegal) that caused them to enhance their already amazing abilities on the baseball field. They've not only cheated the game, they've cheated the fans. They've cheated the record books. They've cheated themselves.
Maybe the question that needed to be asked is who loses out the most because of Pete Rose's actions? Again, the answer is not Pete Rose. I feel it was all the players who were not able to learn from the great baseball mind of Pete Rose. It's the players that didn't get to have Pete Rose as a hitting coach or a manager that truly lose out. Heck, you might say it's been the Reds organization that loses out the most.
Pete Rose screwed himself by breaking a rule. However, it's a tradgedy the most prolific hitter ever to play the game isn't in a museum that celebrates individual's accomplishments of those who haven't disgraced the game on the field.
Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. Any writer who doesn't vote him in should lose their chance to vote. Mike Lupica was right, the Hall of Fame is not the Vatican. The Hall of Fame is a celebration of the best players the game has seen. At least when they are clean. It's time to acknowledge Pete Rose for what he did on the field. It's time to let him back into the game so he can teach what he knows to tomorrow's players. And it's time my niece realizes that she's too young to determine what team she is rooting for.
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