Much debated subject, but here's my .02
Pete Rose is by FAR ONE OF THE BEST ball players the game has ever seen, matter of fact one of the best bats as well. Pete Rose was not a super start player but his baseball playing was tremendus , he was a fighter everyday he step foot in the field. Pete Rose as a player is as much deserving of a Hall of Fame spot as anyother player. With that said, I have moxed feelings....
I am in a limbo, sort of speak. Pete was a great ball player and if that is all you'd look at he must go to the HOF, his game sure deserves it. However I do belive that what he did, his betting, had a tremendous impact in baseball. Think about it, what makes this sport so interesting? I'll tell you what, the fact that any team, can come in and play against another team and have the opportunity to win. The fact that a team like the Marlins, can have a season as mediocre as they did, come back in the post season with one of baseball's lowest salaries, play a great ball game and beat the team with the highest salary, and a team with great tallent!! That is baseball, but what happens if one day a thought crosses your mind, "well it was probably fixed".
As soon as people start to think that of the game, baseball is over. I belive Pete Rose did this to the game, I think that by his dissregard and dissrespect for a game that gave him everything, he has done an irreversable thing. Is this merrit his banning from the HOF? I don't know?? What is the HOF, it is a museum, and only a museum, Hitler is in museums arround the world, is Pete worst than Hitler? Why shoudn't he then be allowed in Baseball's museum? The HOF if filled with memorries of men and their acomplishment in baseball and shortcomings as men! Pete shouldn't be there because he made catastrophic mistakes????
Like I said I have mixed feelings, and I am glad I am not the one making the decision. On the other hand, I am certain that Pete Rose should never, under no circumstance be evere allowed to manage a professional baseball team, I would even go as far as to say that he should never be allowed to participate in anything that has to do with professional baseball!! He is a disgrace.