Pete Rose poll on ESPN front page

[Mark17]

Pete Rose was very much a student of baseball history. He knew who the great players were, their milestones, and he took great pride in passing many of those players, ultimately passing Cobb's hit total.

He knew all about the 1919 Black Sox and their permanent ban from baseball. He knew Buck Weaver was banned for life for simply knowing about gambling but not reporting it. He knew Joe Jackson was banned even though he hit .375 in that Series.

I have read that Major League ballplayers are continually reminded of the very strict, uncompromising rules against gambling, including signs in locker rooms, and so on. Pete Rose knew that gambling was a very serious offense in the eyes of Baseball.

And... he did it anyway, many many times, over many seasons. He knew the rules very well, he knew the consequences very well, and he did it anyway. Now, he doesn't think HE should be subject to the consequences of his actions because he is Pete Rose and he has 4,200+ base hits.

If you don't like the fact Pete Rose is not in the Hall of Fame, blame one person and one thing: Pete Rose and his arrogance.

[Buccaneer Madden]

Yes, he deserves to go in the hall for his play. When they make his plaque they need to add a line at the end saying he was banned from baseball for betting while as a manager.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Yes, he deserves to go in the hall for his play. When they make his plaque they need to add a line at the end saying he was banned from baseball for betting while as a manager.

Correction. Per his own book, he bet on games while he played, as well. His stats may deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, but his permanent ban from the game prevents him from being enshrined until an MLB Commissioner agrees to lift the ban.

[Roady]

With the HOF being so watered down with good but not great players I don't think it makes much difference anymore.
I would have to believe that more and more fans think the HOF is becoming less and less relevant.

[godwulf]

With the HOF being so watered down with good but not great players I don't think it makes much difference anymore.
I would have to believe that more and more fans think the HOF is becoming less and less relevant.

+1. Any "Hall of Fame" inductee ought to be one of the very best of the best - not just a popular player with pretty good stats. I believe the notion that some folks seem to have gotten - that two or three players have to go into the Hall every year or "something is wrong" - has contributed to the lowered standards and decreased fan interest. Hey, everybody loves a good ceremony, with a dose of nostalgia, and, yeah, it feels good to publicly honor some guy whom you used to love to watch play The Game...but succumbing to all that has increasingly turned the Hall of Fame into the Hall of I-Played-Too!