The Pete Rose Thread

[*jason*]

Pete Rose is my all time favorite player.  I was born in 1974 so I don't really remember the height of the Big Red Machine, but I was aware of him enough to freak out as a child when he became a Philly.  I was in 4th grade when he broke Ty Cobb's record, and remember my teacher updating the countdown of hits next to his poster.  Pete Rose is the Cincinnati Reds as far as I'm concerned... But...  He has no one to blame but himself for this.  He's had over 20 years to just ***** come clean already.  Those of us with kids know how infuriating it is when you know they are lying, and they won't fess up.  Just come clean and at least act  contrite. He can't even do that. He is stubborn to a fault.  He thumbs his nose at the Hall of Fame as he sits across the street every year signing anything for money.  He lives in Vegas of all places.  We can all blame Dowd for the timing of this, and it is shitty, because I was excited about Pete's inclusion at the All Star game.  I just have a hard time mustering any sympathy for Pete anymore.  I never really expected him to be reinstated, but I always hoped he'd be voted to the Hall of Fame in his lifetime.  Now I'm not even sure I think he deserves that.  All of his accomplishments are already in there.  I think that's good enough.  With each revelation (I don't think any of us are shocked that he didn't just start betting on baseball as a manager) it becomes harder and harder to not have the gambling issue be the first thing that gets mentioned when his name is brought up.  He's just a fatally flawed Shakespearian figure.