[Huck]

What a dumb article. Pete Rose should die knowing he's never getting in. Period.

[ClearCase_guy]

Such crap. The writer points out the startling news that Babe Ruth was gluttonous. Who knew? And yet, despite this tremendous flaw in Babe's character, which brought untold shame on the sport of baseball, he was still inducted into the Hall of Fame. Ergo, Pete Rose, a gambler who (may have) gambled against his own team, should also be inducted.

Of such leaps is the field of moral equivalence littered.

I say induct Shoeless Joe Jackson into the Hall. Afterall, what he did was much less than what Rose did. After Jackson is inducted, let's wait 80 years and then revisit the Rose issue.

[mewzilla]

Posthumously? Only if someone can convince me his gambling was done posthumously.

[TontoKowalski]

At the same time, how much longer should baseball punish its all-time hit leader?

The writer assumes that there is some "right" for very good baseball players to be inducted into HoF.

[Agnes Heep]

Regardless of whether he makes it into the Hall of Fame, history is going to recognize Rose as a great baseball player. Personally I think that in this society we're too willing to indulge bad behavior among the celebrated classes.

[Xenalyte]

I've never understood why ban him from an honor that allegedly celebrates his ballplaying abilities based on an activity that has absolutely nothing to do with his ballplaying abilities.

But then, I'm just a girl.

[Jumper]

The Hall of Fame is for champions. Pete Rose was a champion. No one will ever break some Pete's Records. At one time or another, Pete held 73 Major Leauge Baseball Records. He had an addiction and those in Baseball who keep him out are only hurting the history of the game. Heck, even the Blacksox have their place in the history of the game and Pete's transgressions never had one thing to do with "throwing" a game.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The Hall of Fame is where baseball beats the other professional sports leagues hands-down.

Baseball's Hall of Fame is very prestigious and not for the likes of malcontents such as Rose despite his career.

[SaveTheChief]

If Rose is to be admitted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, so should "Shoeless" Joe Jackson.

[NYCVirago]

. Rose's likeness will adorn the Hall of Fame Gallery, alongside men of dubious character like Ty Cobb (vicious), Cap Anson (racist), Babe Ruth (gluttonous), Orlando Cepeda (convicted marijuana importer), and many others whose deeds were covered up by the boys-will-be-boys reporters of their day.

Geez, those reporters did a great job of covering up Babe Ruth's gluttony, didn't they? Who knew?

Anyhow, this is a silly argument. There is only one thing that will get you permanently banned from the game, and that's because it affects the integrity of the game -- gambling on baseball. None of these other sins mentioned affect the integrity of the game.

[sargon]

I will NEVER visit the Baseball Hall of Fame until Pete Rose is inducted.

And I know that there are many thousands of others out there who are also boycotting the Hall for only that reason.

Baseball needs to get its head out of its ass, and induct one of the greatest players ever to play the game.

The only thing which could change my mind was if they proved he bet AGAINST his own team. Betting ON one's own team might bring managerial judgment into question, but it does not taint the game in any way.

They're just trying to keep Pete down. He should be judged by what he did ON THE FIELD.

[tdadams]

I fall into the 'keep him out' camp, but it is awkward to not acknowledge his accomplishments. This is a deal I could live with. Recognize him at the Hall of Fame. His accomplishments deserve recognition. But don't give him the satisfaction of ever seeing it himself.

[Mr. Bird]

First of all, the author's proposal is philosophically untenable. He is either deserving of HoF entry or not. I'm pro-Rose and pro-Shoeless Joe. I am pro-Rose emotionally because I grew up with the Big Red Machine, intellectually because his records are so singular. His hit record is likely to stand forever. I also think there exists a distinction between actions as player and actions as manager. Joe Torre will not be in the Hall as a player, but will likely make it as manager, for example.

I'm pro-Jackson because he apparently had the brain of a gnat and was duped by men of lesser virtue than he. The 1919 World Series stats support him.

[Arpege92]

I guess pro athletes getting mixed up in drugs time after time is more acceptable than gambling.

[EchelonDave]

RE: Pete Rose -- A Life After Death
Although hardly qualified as a keen observer, I was a witness to the uniform number retirement ceremonies at Campbell's Field in New Jersey during May of 2003, hosted by the Camden Riversharks minor league organization, to honor Pete Rose. I am also a parent of a participant -- whom I trust to pass along the spirituality of our national pastime to my future grandchildren -- in the most recently completed Babe Ruth World Series Tournament for 14-year-olds held this summer at Adams Field in Quincy, Massachusetts. Regarding the article published October 27, 2003, I would prefer, instead of posthumous induction, as suggested by Mr. Neuman, bathed presumedly in a revisionist light, that the Baseball Writers Association of America assure that the achievements of Charlie Hustle only will be displayed within an Infamy Wing at Cooperstown. For example, the commemorative plaque for Mr. Rose could feature most prominently that he disgraced the sport and that he disappointed his fans by failing to acknowledge his misdeeds in a timely and forthright fashion. This legacy overshadows his accomplishments on the diamond.

By the way, Pete, I am willing to extend to you nine-to-five odds in the event you are interested in wagering in favor of the proposition that the Hall of Fame will end your lifetime ban.