Pete Rose: the TBOH Polls
By Matt Veasey
As almost every baseball fan knows, Phillies living legend Pete Rose has been banned from baseball for a quarter of a century. Former Commissioner of Baseball A. Bartlett Giamatti banned the all-time MLB hits leader for betting on baseball games while manager of the Cincinnati Reds, for whom the man known as ‘Charlie Hustle’ spent the majority of his career.
“..it’s a conversation I’m willing to have.” ~ Manfred, on Rose reinstatement
The subject of whether Rose should ever be reinstated by Major League Baseball, and thus made eligible for consideration to be enshrined as a player in the Baseball Hall of Fame, has been debated ever since by all manner of pundits and fans.
Newly appointed Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred said this week during a radio interview that he was likely to revisit the issue soon. “I do anticipate having a conversation about that. I’ve been very careful not to say anything about the merits of it because ultimately I’m going to have to make a decision there. But it’s a conversation I’m willing to have.”
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Just because Manfred is willing to listen to Rose and/or his legal team does not mean that he is leaning in either direction, towards lifting the ban fully and permanently, some type of partial reinstatement, or allowing the current terms to remain in place.
However, that he is willing to listen signals that the new Commissioner is at least open to hearing the arguments from, and to discuss possibilities with, the man whose career statistics, standing alone, would merit his Hall of Fame enshrinement on the first ballot.
So what do you think, baseball fans? Should Pete Rose be reinstated? If so, should he be enshrined as a player in the Baseball Hall of Fame? All during February, you can vote in these two polls here at TBOH: