Pete
Rose: A Thorny Issue
by Robert Yoho, Columnist and Senior Editor
First of Two Parts
"Eye on Conservatism"
This
past week it was announced that Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig
and former Cincinnati Red Pete Rose (right) are engaged in negotiations that
might lead to his reinstatement to the game. Joining in the talks is Hall of
Famer and former Phillie great Mike Schmidt, who is also a close personal friend
and former teammate of Rose.
According to the reports, no final decisions yet have been reached. However, it has been speculated that the agreement may require an admission by Rose that he did indeed bet on baseball.
Many of the opponents of Rose’s reinstatement say that allowing Rose back into baseball will damage the integrity of the game. To that charge, I can only say one thing: "What integrity?"
Don’t talk to me about the integrity of the game when you introduce a "juiced-up" baseball that flies out of ballparks quicker than the fans’ money from their pockets at the concession stands. Don’t talk to me about the integrity of the game when you give the fans a bunch of bulked-up, steroid junkies in double knit—mere 25-30 homerun a year players, who suddenly are capable of repeatedly challenging the invincible homerun records of Ruth and Maris. Don’t talk to me about the integrity of the game when you falsely increase batting averages by making the pitchers confront drastically smaller strike zones. And worst of all, don’t talk to me about integrity of the game when the commissioner allows the All-Star game to end in the tie, because the coaches were too inept to save some of their pitchers for the later innings.
Following a multitude of strikes and work stoppages, baseball suffered from an image problem. In order for the National Pastime to recover, they deliberately sold out whatever lasting vestiges of integrity the game had left. And Commissioner Bud Selig, arguably the most incompetent man to ever rule the game, only narrowly averted another strike with the players’ union this past year. Perhaps an unpopular commissioner thinks he needs Pete Rose!
I will certainly not defend Rose from the actions that led to his banishment from the game in 1989. However, the penalties administered by major league baseball makes absolutely no sense at all.
As part of his punishment, Rose cannot don the uniform and join other retired players in an old-timers’ game. He cannot participate in nostalgic team reunions when the heroes of yesterday are honored by the fans of today. Moreover, it took a special dispensation from Selig for Rose to take the field when baseball honored its greatest moments. Strangely enough, this came on the heels of Selig forbidding Rose to take part in the closing ceremonies for Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field. The man is not being punished as much as he is subject to the daily whims of a moody commissioner!
I can understand the desire to make the man ineligible to be a part of the game he shamed, but it is pointless to deny baseball’s history and Rose’s significant place in it. Nobody in the history of the game had more hits on the baseball diamond than Peter Edward Rose! You cannot simply pretend that is never happened.
Like many of Rose’s critics, I have come to believe that the man actually bet on baseball games. And for that one offense, Rose should never be let off the hook! His eventual reinstatement to the game should not be an unconditional surrender by the commissioner’s office.
Baseball should immediately welcome one of its greatest players back to the game and let the writers and his peers decide if he should be enshrined in the Baseball Hall on Fame. It should allow the all time hit king to take his place in the front office, the announcers’ booth, and on the field as a major league scout, coach or hitting instructor. However, the gambling offenses should forever make him ineligible to ever manage a major league team. I believe this is truly a fair and equitable penalty for Rose’s actions.
It has been said that every Rose has its thorns and the same is true with Pete. Whether you loved him or hated him; it was impossible to ignore him.
Rose’s gambling was not only a blemish on the game; but it forever damaged a great player’s name and reputation. Reinstatement to the game will never clean the "black sox" of this Cincinnati Redleg. ***
© 2002 Robert Yoho
COPYRIGHT © 2002 BY THE AMERICAN PARTISAN. All writers retain rights to their work.
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