The Confessions of Pete Rose

The New York Times ^ | January 2, 2004 | FAY VINCENT

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Next thing, you'll tell me President Clinton have sexual relations with that woman, Monica Lewinsky.

[the invisib1e hand]

I did get the impression (second-hand) that Mr. Rose was something less than 'repentent...'

[don'tbedenied]

I don't like Pete Rose (at all), but the ability of Rose haters like Fay Vincent to carry out their own personal vendetta via the national media is sickening. Of course it's the NYSlimes.

[ClearCase_guy]

I would like to see Shoeless Joe Jackson in the HOF. I say we re-visit the Pete Rose thing in about 80 years.

[Search4Truth]

What has hit more balls than Pete Rose's bat?

[You Dirty Rats]

What's so unreasonable about Fay Vincent's suggestions?

[You Dirty Rats]

Madonna's Mouth?

[OldFriend]

As to the question posed in your post #6.......and the answer is.......slick willie?

[Mean Daddy]

Monica's chin?

[Search4Truth]

LOL. Mark Morfords neck chain.

[presidio9]

[BlackElk]

Fay Vincent and Bowie Kuhn are very fine men. They are exemplary Catholics. They were just not very good at the task of baseball commissioner. Bart Giamattei was good only as an enemy of Western Civilization while at Yale and he was also a known Red Sox fan. Pete Rose is not a very fine man. He is not likely to be Catholic much less an exemplary one or an exemplary anything religiously if the anything is a positive.

Pete Rose is however, the man who holds the record, recognized or not, for the most base hits of any man who ever played the game in the major leagues. He was a nasty and furious and devastating opponent as any other Yankee fan can tell you who closely watched him lead the nuking of the sainted Billy Martin's Yankees in the 1976 World Series. No lawyer/commissioner, no secular humanist/commissioner, no pathetic used car salesman/ commissioner can take away from Pete Rose his accomplishments on the field.

Assuming that Pete Rose, retired as a player, acting as a manager, bet on games or worst of all bet against his team when he managed that team. Make his ban permanent. That need not require living the lie of making believe that he did not establish records on the field. Nor did Shoeless Joe Jackson deserve to have his records erased because he knew of the Black Sox fix. Banned? Perhaps. Erased? No. History is history and no commissioner has any business rewriting history.

[zarf]

I'm a huge Rose fan and believe without a doubt he was the greatest ball player of my generation. The fact he's not in the HOF is ridiculous.

That being said, Vincent is a class act and speaks only out of his true love for the game. I don't think his suggestions are unreasonable.

[GreenHornet]

If only he had done drugs instead - the commissioner would have reinstated him long ago.

[Khurkris]

Jeez Loweez...everytime somebody mentions Pete Rose all the weirdness comes out.

The BaseBall Commizaars of the last 15-20 years have all been political wackos of one sort or another. They all have hated Rose for his 'stain' on the fine sport of BaseBall.' BS!

And now I see religion being brought into this. What insanity!

What damn business of anyone is it if Rose, Kuhn, Vincent, Giametti or Bart Damn Simpson is a member of the Roman Catholic Church? We're talking BASEBALL!

I have been a Pete Rose fan since he came to the team (Reds). He was and did exlemplfy EVERYTHING a good BaseBall Player should be.

He would be the first to say that he was not a 'natural' athelete. He just WORKED harder. And his record still stands!

Did he bet? Yes..he probably did. Should he be punished? Yes...And he WAS. He did his time. He didn't bitch. He did the jail time.

Who the hell is hurt if Pete gets into the Hall of Fame? The delicate sensitivities of some people who are 'offended' by anything they can't control...Thats Who!

To those who would eternally condemn Pete for his actions...GROW UP!

Its BaseBall damnit...it ain't no big moral drama.

Thank you for your time. We now return to our regularly scheduled program.

[MissEdie]

Or sold drugs, shot somebody, raped someone, beat up his pregnant girlfriend,etc etc