Pete Rose

[BeastMaster]

several years ago i was chatting with a pro scout and pete rose's name came up.. that scout was telling me that if pete were to around in the day and time as a young ballplayer, he would not even get looked at.. he had no major skill. no arm, no speed, no bat and couldn't catch that terrific.. he had nothing that stood out from anyone else. what he did have that most didn't was dedication and a GREAT work ethic. pete rose was a less than average player that made himself into a great. i grew up playing ball and played a lil college ball and it bothered me tremendously to see gifted players who had no work habits.. let me give you an example.. i saw a young freshman come in that was a pitcher.. he could throw about 92 as a freshman... he was a rich spoiled brat who had never in his life been made to work. he had never lifted weights he had never worked on his stamina nor strength.. never had to run or do any of the things that a mediocre player such as myself had to do to get where i was.. and he didn't care, he threw it away for women or boozin or whatever.... WASTE that is a tradgedy.. i admire pete rose. we judge these athletes by what they do on the field. 99% of them we know nothing about their background nor their personal life other than what they tell us.. so we judge there character by there abilities and performances on the field.. so look at what pete did on the field... he was great. not only as a player but as a steward for the game of baseball because people loved to watch him play. he played hard... remember the allstar game where he ran over the catcher... man, if someone tried that today people would go ape $#!+.. the allstar game is a joke but it wasn't to pete... how many positions did he play over his career?? was it like 4 ... how many players do that today?
everyone has their character flaws... some of them more than others.. which flaws are worse than others. society tells us that, but does it make on any worse than the other.. some of you have mentioned about the drug abuse of some athletes that have been given 8 chances to come back and play (strawberry).... now, which one is worse.. if kids are looking up to someone.. which would you rather them look up to? a drug dealer or someone who bets on a game.. hell i (bet) you that 80% of us gamble in some form or fashion.... society says that gambling can keep you out of the hall of fame but go smoke all the pot you want and chalk up another one <and thats not another basepath> !!! there are athletes that get convicted of rape/drug abuse and all sorts of other things that are allowed to still play... cheatin on their wives, tax evasion etc...

we have all done something at one time that if we had been caught we would of been looked down upon by our peers.. really think about that statement for a minute. pete got caught is the only difference....

pete has lied about it for 14 yrs... pete may be stupid but he has enough money and friends in high places counciling him to know something that we don't.. there has to be an alterior motive behind denial for all these years and i am confident it was in his best interest to stick to his word...


are we the ones that should be JUDGING him ???

[amwoodIE]

heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL YES

[Bullet]

Well I think Beastmaster put bout as good as you can. Damn

[ShovelerChef]

Daryl Strawberry's crimes hurt his image in a personal way; Petie's tainted the game. He admitted outright that he betted on baseball while he was manager, but that he did not bet for or against his own team. This I find hard to believe. If he would blatantly disregard hard fast rules and give in to his weaknesses, then what would stop him from doing so in a way that he could have a real impact on his chances to win the bet? It wouldn't be so hard to make a few "mistakes" and lose a game to win a bet. He's a gambler, and what gambler would pass up the chance at a "sure thing"?

KEEP HIM OUT!!!!!

[chopper30]

you make a decent point, but i think i'm going to have to disagree with you there shov daddy.

[ShovelerChef]

Chopper - The qualifications for voting a player into the Hall state that "voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

Clearly Pete's integrity and character are questionable by not only his actions, but also the blatant lies he professed to the world for the last 14 years. Yes, his gambling (supposedly) began after his playing days were through, but this has still significantly damaged key factors in his qualifications. If after a player retired he raped a woman or murdered someone, should that player be admitted to the Hall, or would the serious character flaws that become evident kill his credibility? Granted, gambling is not the same as rape or murder, but at the same time, this is a direct violation of the rules, and we will never truly know what impact Rose's bets had on the outcome of the Reds' games.

Anyway - this horse has been beat pretty thoroughly - let's get back to the important issues, the ducks!!!