This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

My Biggest Pet Peeve About Baseball

Why isn't the player with the most hits in the Major League in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

This upcoming week in baseball history is when some of the baseball greats joined the 3,000th hit club: Al Kaline Sept. 24, Roberto Clemente and George Brett both on Sept. 30.  It is hard to think of that list knowing that the Major League leader in hits with 4,256, Pete Rose has no for seen future chance to ever get on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He is only the second player in history to have over 4,000 hits along with Ty Cobb having 4,191 hits.  There is no other player even close to having 4,000 hits.  Hammering Hank Aaron is third on the all time hits list with 3,771.

Some of the highlights for Pete Rose's career include: three World Series rings, National League MVP, World Series MVP, three National League Batting Champion titles, two time Gold Glove winner and National League Rookie of the Year.

Find out what's happening in Bonney Lake-Sumnerwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Yet because of one major mistake of illegal gambling on sports including betting on  Reds game while he was their manager (no evidence has ever come out that he bet against the Reds to lose).  Pete Rose agreed to a permanent place on baseball's ineligible list.  By agreeing to this Major League Baseball would make no formal findings on the gambling allegations.

At the time Pete Rose agreed to the ban from baseball he was still eligible to be on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  That is until the Baseball Hall of Fame voted in 1991 to exclude any players who are on the permanently ineligible list to be voted on by the Baseball Writer's Association of America (BWAA) for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Pete Rose is the only living player on that list.

Find out what's happening in Bonney Lake-Sumnerwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Pete Rose had once last option to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and that was for the Veteran's Committee to vote him in.  Once a player has lost their spot on the BWAA's ballot then they can be selected by the Veteran's Committee.  A player is eligible on the BWAA's ballot for 15 years.  This left Pete Rose eligible for the Veteran's Committee in 2007 but was not on the ballot.  Then in 2008 the Veteran's Committee also voted to exclude players and managers that are on the permanently ineligible list.

Only two players on the 3,000 hit list who are not still active or just retired are not in the Hall of Fame.  Pete Rose and Rafael Palmeiro who has been connected with steroid use.  Rafael was at least on the ballot in 2011 but only received 11% of the votes, 75% is needed to be voted in. 

When Pete Rose was collecting all his hits and awards he was not betting on baseball.  When he agreed to the ban from baseball he knew he still had a chance to make it to the Hall of Fame until they changed the rules on him.  It is hard to watch players that are juiced on steroids even be allowed on the Hall of Fame ballot. 

It has been 22 years since his ban, when is enough, enough? Other players in baseball and other sports have done far worse and still continue to play.  I know critics claim that Pete Rose hurt the integrity of the game by gambling on it.  My own opinion is the players that are juiced on steroids tainted the game far worse then Pete Rose ever did.  Steroid use enhances a player's performance; many of the new records being set will have astericks by them in the record book to notate steroid use.

In 1999 when the Major League Baseball all Century team was announced Pete Rose was named one of the top 100 players.  Major League Baseball allowed him to attend the ceremony before Game 2 of the World Series in Atlanta.  When he was introduced he received the loudest ovation from the crowd.

Even with the exception to attend the All Century Team celebration, Major League Baseball will not allow Pete Rose to attend any Reds' celebrations including the 25th reunion of the Big Red Machine World Series team.  His jersey number 14 has never been retired by the Reds since he would be unable to attend the ceremony.  Yet no other player has ever used that number since Pete Rose left the game.

The Baseball Hall of Fame's mission is to preserve the sport's history, honor excellence within the game and make a connection between the generations of people who enjoy baseball.  No where in their mission statement does it state they are judge and jury of the rights and wrongs of a player. How can the Major League Hits Leader not be honored?

Pete Rose has not tarnished how fans view baseball.  He was a player that played hard for the fans and left it all on the field when he played.  He loves the game of baseball and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Bonney Lake-Sumner