Pete Rose Speaks Again ...

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Pete Rose Speaks Again…
by Robert Yoho, Columnist and Senior Editor

January 15, 2004

"Eye on Conservatism"

Columnist Robert Yoho All-time Hits Leader Pete Rose (AP) This past week, former Cincinnati Reds player/manager and all time major league hit leader, Pete Rose had another book coming out on his life. Like soap actress Susan Lucci made a career out of routinely not being selected for daytime Emmy, Pete Rose has turned his lifetime banishment from baseball into a lucrative career in exile. However, what makes this tome different from his earlier book is the admission that he indeed did bet on baseball—an allegation that he has vehemently denied for the past 14 years.

I have always believed Pete Rose bet on baseball, but that he never bet against his own team. On the field, Pete Rose always played to win. That is what made him my childhood sports hero. He was cocky and brash—even arrogant—but the teams he played for won! His aggressiveness on the diamond was unmatched. And he never apologized for doing whatever he had to do to win a game! Therefore, I was not surprised that he stubbornly refused to publicly admit the fact that he gambled on baseball. To do anything else would have been completely inconsistent with the man's career and character that I have closely followed since 1967.

Despite my unabashed support for his reinstatement to baseball, I don't think Peter Edward Rose should be permitted to return to any kind of managerial role. His behavior has automatically forfeited any blanket expectation of trust. As a manager, every late inning rally that falls a run or two short would understandably be scrutinized—not whether Rose's decisions were made on sound baseball wisdom, but rather, if the factors leading up to it might have been influenced by the week's betting sheets.

At the very least, there must be some sort of probationary period that precludes Rose from any sort of betting—legal or illegal. Not only should Rose be forbidden to engage in any future gambling activities, he should be admonished to avoid any association with anyone intimately connected to the activity. I do not think he should be restricted from working in a club's front office, being a talent scout, a hitting instructor, or any other coaching role that keeps him from having a direct effect on the outcome of a game. Yet his involvement in these jobs should be contingent on Rose's promise to stay away from the ponies. Moreover, this promise should be routinely monitored by the commissioner's office. Better still, the much-maligned John Dowd should be given the assignment.

Rose's teams finished second in their division for several years in a row. After the gambling issue became public, I always wondered if the bridesmaid finishes hadn't somehow been directly connected to his addiction. Could a string of second place finishes been the cost of a gambling addict who was in too deep with the neighborhood bookie? The fact that a devoted fan—like me—would even consider that possibility is further proof of the lasting damage Rose has inflicted upon his baseball legacy.

The gambling rule was instituted to protect the integrity of the game. But I am forced to ask: what integrity? Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig recently allowed an extra inning, All-Star Game to end in a tie because the managers were too shortsighted to save some fresh pitchers for the later innings. What integrity? Bulked-up, steroid junkies who practice better hitting through chemistry have obliterated baseball's seemingly unreachable and most sacred homerun records. Due to the benefits of performance enhancing drugs, these records fell when their biceps swell. This once great game of balls and strikes has been decimated by these pampered athletes' bawling and strikes.

I believe Rose's return to baseball might be good for the game. A man who gave everything he had to the sport has certainly been responsible for taking much of the glamour away from it. Perhaps a second chance for Rose could help the game to recover from its stumbles. His reinstatement should also include a series of public service announcements about the dangers of gambling and the detrimental effects that it can have on a career—a career in or out of sports.

If Pete Rose expects to have any future in the game, then the man who earned his living between the foul lines should be required by the commissioner to walk a delicately fine line! ***

Photo of Robert Yoho courtesy of staff files
Photo of Pete Rose courtesy of the Associated Press