Should MLB finally forgive Pete Rose and remove his banishment from baseball?

YES1 baseball has much bigger problems these days than a gambling fool. They have drug addicts, wife beaters and plain old scum playing the game. These are the ones who should be banished from the sport forever- not poor old Pete - who did not use drugs or abuse anyone. He was just stupid. Or to be politically correct- He made poor- very poor choices.

I think the steroids issue has had the greatest impact on baseball. The Pete Rose incident was basically an isolated thing. Pete Rose claims that he only bet on the Reds to win so he may have made his teams try harder. I don't think there's really any evidence that he caused his teams to lose games or did anything to throw the games. The steroids issue became widespread. No one knows exactly how widespread steroids have become in baseball and because of that, we don't know just which records and games were decided because of steroids. Even Barry Bonds is suspicious but cannot be proven to have used steroids. It's a shame that records have fallen and will fall, but without any way to prove that steroids were used, the records and game decisions will sit alongside every legiteimate stat out there.

Wow! Some really great answers to this truly worthwhile question. Especially so because people's opinions are being backed up with so much reason.

I say No. The integrity of the game has to still be upheld even if it's being applied to the past. No matter that it was within the last 30 yers or not, the mere idea that actions such as gambling on the outcome of games by someone so integral to their actual performance is what cannot be compromised by those who govern the sport. Or forgiven in it's aftermath, in such a way that some *next* guy could then come along and think he could do it too.

Would you people shut up already about Pete Rose. There are thousands of question exactly just like this one that you could have looked up rather than waste our time. There are rules and Pete Rose broke them, it's as simple as that. Rose likes to gamble, then he should have gone to Vegas and lose all his money that way. Bonds and Clemens and McGwire should also get in because they didn't do anything. Rose admitted to his stupidity while the other guys denied all the allegations leaving them innocent. If you want Rose to get in then every single rule in MLB should be erased. Why run around the bases when all you have to do is touch homeplate and get a ITPHR. lets put a couple more shortstops out there and outfielders too while we're at it. corked bats thrown games and redeced to only 5 innings

How can you say his gambling never affected the outcome of a game? It's been established that he bet on the Reds while he was their manager. Even if he never bet on them to lose, it's hard to believe that the wagering never affected his decisions. Is Pete going to put in his ace reliever tonight in a close game, if he has $5000 riding on the game tomorrow? It doesn't even have to be a conscious "screw tonights game" decision... maybe he's 60-40 on putting the guy in, but knowing his has cash on tomorrows game tips the scale.

You can point out that baseball has its share of bad characters - wife beaters, drug addicts, tax evaders, just to name a few - and they're all eligible for the Hall. That's true, but their crimes didn't affect baseball directly. They affected society, and society responded by arresting them and fining them and putting them in jail. What Rose did hurt baseball directly, and if baseball doesn't punish him, he won't get punished.

The other problem I have with Rose is that he still doesn't think he did anything wrong. If you read "My Prison Without Walls", he pretty much portrays himself as the victim, somebody who broke an obscure rule and is being unfairly punished. If Pete Rose wants to get back in baseball, I think at the very least he should admit that he did something very wrong, and should try to find ways to make amends.

And no, selling autographed baseballs with "I'm sorry that I bet on baseball" inscribed on them does not constitute an apology.

No - Rose has shown he has less moral character than just about anyone else who has played the game (I said "just about" - don't mention the steroid cheats, the 1919 Sox, etc.).

Not only did he bet on baseball, he bet on his own team. He's a charlatan, out to make a buck and using his career as a hitter to hope to mask the fact that he is bereft of dignity and integrity.

He was a great ballplayer; no doubt about that. But he threw all that goodwill away when he sank to the level of a gambler while wearing a baseball uniform.

Don't do it baseball - let Rose remain in purgatory where he belongs.

I think he should be forgiven. From what I understand about him, he loved the game and just had a weakness for gambling. Look at Josh Hamilton, Barry Bonds, Andruw Jones - all of them, and many, many more, also have their vices, but they aren't banished.

Added:

Yes, it's against the rules of Baseball to bet on baseball, but from what I remember, he never bet on his team (as a player or manager) he only bet on other teams so it's not like that old White Sox scandle where players threw the game or anything. He broke a rule and should be punished... but does that punishment really fit the crime in this case? I don't think so. Other players have done much worse and had a much easier punishment. It isn't fair. Yeah, yeah life isn't fair, I know. But the least that the MLB Commissioner could do is try to appear fair. Either punish other wrong-doers more severly or lighten up on Rose.

I think he should be voted into the HOF because all the questionable acts he was supposed to have done occured while he was a MANAGER, not a player. And we are voting him in as a PLAYER.

If quesitonable conduct is a bar to the Hall of Fame, then why put in bad guys like Ty Cobb and all those racists from the 19th century?

Also, gambling is NOT AN ILLEGAL act in most States of the Union. In Pete's time, they always gave "second chances" to guys who were foudn guity of sniffing cocaine, which IS illegal.

I'm not saying there was nothing wrong in what Rose did (if proven), but to me, susbstance abuse is a far worse offense.

Pete Rose is the all-time hits leader and played more winning games than anybody in history. He shouldn't be banned from MLB events for past indiscretions. He has suffered long enough. Reinstate him, and put him in the Hall of Fame.

It's funny,in this day and age gambling is alright for the states,but not alright for the common folks.Everybody I know gambled a lot in there lifetime while illigal.He didn't gamble while playing.HE was Charlie HUSTLE and a great player,He should be in the hall of fame.

I grew up watching Pete and the Big Red Machine. I met Pete when he was manager of the Reds and I was a reporter. He's great with fans. But he did bet on baseball and that is clearly banned. Did his gambling influence games? Hard to say. I will say with confidence that Pete never threw a game. The man is a winner and hates losing - he's never been accused of betting on the Reds to lose. However, it doesn't matter under the rules of the game. As a fan, I would love to see Pete reinstated for hall of fame and baseball promotional purposes, but to continue the ban on him ever coaching again. He would be a great example to talk to younger (minor league) players both about playing to win and the negative side of the game. I do think he should be in the HOF - Gaylord Perry is and we know he cheated (spitballs). There are lots of unsavory types in the HOF, but if they were great players they should be in there, regardless of their character. We're not enshrining them as saints.