"This isn’t stats vs scouts - this is stats and scouts working together, building an organization that blends the best of both worlds. This is the blueprint for how a baseball organization should be run. And, whether the baseball men of the 20th century like it or not, this is where baseball is going."---Dave Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner
Fwiw...As a kid, I wanted to be Pete when I grew up. He did not have a bigger fan.
It's a great story along the lines of opera or Greek drama. What made Pete great, the refusal to accept his own limitations also caused his downfall. In that sense I don't want him in the hall, yet. Pete accepted a lifetime ban. It is my belief that exactly as soon as the ban is over, Pete should be accepted into the Hall of Fame.
The notion that the hall should make an exception for Pete and allow him in while he's alive, seems perverse. At one time Pete may have thought he was just "sittin out a year," after all precedent had been established with Steinbrenner's one year "lifetime ban," but the blatant commercialism of his confession has pretty much turned me away from the notion that Pete should recieve tempered mercy. He has recieved exactly what he deserves.
"Even a bad day at the ballpark beats the snot out of most other good days. I'll take my scorecard and pencil and beer and hot dog and rage at the dips and cheer at the highs, but I'm not ever going to stop loving this game and this team and nobody will ever take that away from me." Roy Tucker October 2010
Pete Rose now makes a living by inking his signature onto pieces of paper. I once read (I forget where) that he has his autograph timed to fourteen seconds.
One time back in 1989 in Peter Ueberroth's office he could have taken fourteen seconds to ink his name onto a piece of paper.
If it takes Pete 14 seconds to write Pete Rose, how long would it of taken him if his name was Carl Yastrzemski or Cesar Geronimo?
"Boys, I'm one of those umpires that misses 'em every once in a while so if it's close, you'd better hit it." Cal Hubbard
Pete played with passion, but he was stupid. He deserves the hall as a player and as a man passionate for the game, but as a decision maker he deserves what he got. I'd put him in there, but its not my call.
For the record, Pete was/is not my hero. My hero was/is my late father. It just chaps my butt for baseball to use Pete when they so desire then act like he's a piece of dirt all the other times.
I'm also of the opinion the people who want him banned for life and thrown under a rock to live probably have done a few things they're ashamed of as well.
To beat it all, I can't believe I got 3 red marks on this thread. From people who didn't even contribute to the thread. I'll give WestOfYou credit for stating his opinion. He's entitled, although I don't appreciate the spin he put on the fact I'd show my kid clips of Rose. I clearly stated I'd show him clips of Rose playing the game of baseball. I love Johnny Bench as well. I'd be willing to show him clips of the best catcher in baseball history. I probably will not, however, show him clips of Johnny singing on Hee Haw. That's just as bad as Rose denying his gambling.
I understand the purpose. But, I wouldn't like something like that. We have no idea what someone is going to say on a topic, especially when new people post. Something substantial or worthy of discussion may spawn from a "tired" topic, so it's not worth diminishing the freedom of speech on this board just because certain subjects annoy some people.
It would be a kind of humorous footnote if Pete Rose was banned for life from Redszone as well.
I think we should just keep an eternally running "Pete Rose" thread stickied to the top of the board...
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please. |