One of my goals in writing for this blogsite, as well as our sister site, www.lifeandgrace.net is to avoid unnecessary controversy. There’s plenty of that to be found elsewhere and few, if any, arguments are won on the internet. Hopefully, I’m not stirring the pot today, but I am expressing an opinion. Yours may differ and I can respect that completely.
To begin with, there are two things I want to be clear about.
First, I am not defending cheaters, gamblers or any activity that is banned in a sport. That’s not my point.
Secondly, I am not going to discuss the specifics of any case, since I don’t know the specifics of any case.
With that out of the way, let me say that I am thrilled that Pete Rose is no longer on baseball’s “Ineligible List”. I am pleased that he will finally have the opportunity to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. While he can’t be elected by the writers, since his 10-Year eligibility period has passed, he can still be voted in by the Classic Baseball Committee in December 2027. In order to do so, he will need twelve of sixteen votes.
Pete Rose was wrong to bet on baseball. No one has ever denied that. It is ironic, however, that betting organizations are one of the primary sports network sponsors today. That does not excuse Rose, but it may demonstrate a level of hypocrisy in professional sports (and college sports too, for that matter).
But it’s also fair to say that Pete Rose’s gambling problems don’t detract from his accomplishments as one of the greatest hitters in Major League baseball history. Rose holds the major league record for hits at 4,256. He also owns the second longest hitting streak at 44 games, which is also the modern-day National League mark. At some point in the future, I plan to devote a full post to Pete Rose, not to defend him, but to give him his due.
I am in the camp that believes that the Hall of Fame is not a home for baseball saints. If that were true, there wouldn’t be many members. While there are some true men of honor in the Hall of Fame, there are a lot of scoundrels, and more than a few cheaters who violated the rules of their day. Gaylord Perry was elected to the Hall in 1991, with much of his success due to the effectiveness of his illegal spitball. Today, he is viewed with a level of affection. I’m fine with that. As a Dodger fan, I never liked him because he pitched for the Giants. But it was never personal.
Ty Cobb had a reputation for being a ruthless, and even dirty player. Rumor has it that he sharpened his spikes to dissuade any shortstop or second baseman from blocking second base when he attempted to steal. Many of the accusations regarding him have been refuted, but there’s not much doubt that he would struggle to find acceptance in today’s kinder, gentler game.
Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire may never see the Hall of Fame except as visitors, due to their use of anabolic steroids. But, along with many others, I believe that these two had a significant role in restoring public interest in baseball in 1998. Baseball was still dealing with the aftermath of the 1994 strike that had resulted in the loss of at least some level of fandom.
Both players chased Roger Maris’s single-season home run record of sixty-one. It was neck and neck for most of the year, until McGwire finally won the battle with seventy home runs. It was disappointing that their accomplishments were tainted by steroids, but it was exciting baseball without a doubt. In 2001, Barry Bonds, also an accused steroid user, broke that record with seventy-three. (Sosa was also caught on national television using an illegal cork bat.)
These accomplishments were stained by the steroid scandal. We know that. But these men were great hitters even before they used performance enhancing drugs. Rather than leave them out, wouldn’t it make sense to install them in the hall, either in a “Steroids Wing” or with the appropriate notation on their plaques? This is not a call to overlook their failings, but to recognize their accomplishments, many of which occurred before the steroid era.
The same is true of Pete Rose. Tell his story, his entire story. But let’s not pretend he was not a Hall of Fame player.
And I won’t even discuss the 2017 Houston Astros who cheated their way to a World Series championship, which they were allowed to keep. (Full disclosure. I am a Dodger fan, and I’ll never give them any level of credit. If I were Commissioner, I would strip them of the title. I know that’s hypocritical on my part, but a fan is permitted a level of inconsistency.)
So there. That’s how I view it. I don’t expect everyone to agree. As I said earlier, these are merely my opinions. I still believe that baseball is the greatest game ever played. I have loved my Dodgers since 1963. And I believe that great players, even with character flaws and sins, deserve a level of forgiveness and the right to have their accomplishments recognized. Otherwise, the Hall of Fame is missing a part of baseball history .