Charlie Hustle...what a guy..

[dwbakerjr]

I havn't seen much on the board about the STARTLING REVELATION that Pete Rose bet on Baseball (what a shocker!).

In his new book (that just coincidentally was released when Baseball news was at its highlight for Hall of Fame selections), Pete takes cheap shots at Bart Giamatti, calls those who (according to his new book were correct) reported his activities "Low lifes", expresses essentially no contrition (because he's just not that kind of guy), and blames his flaws on being ADHD (thats right, the old I-need-ritialin excuse).

What a creep. C'mon you all... tell me why I'm way off base hoping this guy ends up sharing history with the Black Sox (at least Buck Weaver showed contrition, and Joe Jackson was genuinely too stupid to know what he got into).

 

[olena]

Commenting from a baseball rules point of view, I have to say that the punishment still fits the crime. Now the admitted crime. That alone should uphold his banishment. The rule is clearly printed on every major league clubhouse door and there is a precedence of consequences for its violation.

Now to comment on the man. He didn't get banished from baseball for his personality or arrogance. Just his actions. From what I've seen of his latest campaign, it seems like a means to an end. Just another tactic to worm his way out of the mess he created for himself. He continues to lash out against those who investigated him, even after admitting they were right all along. It's as though he's saying, 'I confess, now let me back in.' It appears that nothing has changed within him. He doesn't seem contrtie or sorry that he compromised the game's integrity. It's still someone else's fault....or some disease's fault. He continues to blame everyone but himself. I hope the ban remains in place. If baseball starts lifting bans, let them start with Joe Jackson.

 

[goofygirl]

I guess he figures at this stage in life he has nothing to lose by letting it all loose and putting it all out there. I mean, I think there's no way he'll ever be in the HOF no matter what he says or does, and he knows this. So he may as well say what he really wants to.

I do think the ADHD excuse is really stupid though. Kind of like blaming drug abuse on a "bad childhood."

However the HOF has some inductees in it as bad, or worse than Rose. Ty Cobb, a blatant racist and violent person, Babe Ruth, a womanizer who got drunk often, and many more. If character counts, why is one vice overlooked when one isn't?

 

[Towncrier]

But there aren't any rules in baseball that prohibit racism, drunkeness, or womanizing. But heaven forbid that you throw a game. That's simply un-American.

 

[dwbakerjr]

If I was starting a lets-all-forgive and have a warm fuzzy party at the HOF list, I too would put shoeless Joe on it, but I'd have Buck Weaver at the top (he tried to give back the money garnered by his 'teammates', and hit .313 in the series, but still died a broken man, professing his innocence.

here's an interesting link (from Jason Stark's column) about how the sportwriters (who vote someone in or not) are viewing the whole debacle...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=1703439

War Roger Clemmons pitching one last year in an Astros uniform..

 

[olena]

That was a GREAT article, dwbakerjr! Thank you for sharing!

 

[shortbun]

Pete Rose-heck of a ball player-not much upstairs. Why does
everyone expect so much from him? And what's all the hype
about? It's only baseball. At least we can count on really important people like the President of the United States to tell
the truth-now if the President lied, I'd really be worried. But,
this is only baseball!!!! Stark's column is good but no big
revelations there either. "Dude, Where's My Country"; now
there's something worth reading if you want revelations.