Pete Rose makes official request for reinstatement

By Sportal

The all-time hits leader sent a formal request to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to end his ban from the organization. Pete Rose has made a formal request to be reinstated to Major League Baseball. New Commissioner Rob Manfred said he has received the appeal from the 73-year-old all-time hits leader to have his permanent ban lifted.

"I want to make sure I understand all of the details of the Dowd Report and Commissioner (Bart) Giamatti's decision and the agreement that was ultimately reached," Manfred said Monday morning, via ESPN. "I want to hear what Pete has to say, and I'll make a decision once I've done that."

Rose accepted a permanent ban from the major leagues in 1989 after allegations he gambled on games while he was a player/manager for the Reds. During his 24-year playing career, he accumulated an MLB record 4,256 hits. If the restriction is lifted, Rose could have the opportunity to be nominated for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Expansion Era Committee…….To Read More….

My Take – Normally I don't do sports, but this is Ohio and it's bigger than sports.  It's about foundational values, values too easily being dismissed by the general population.  This Pete Rose thing has always intrigued me because so many people I know want him re-instated. I keep pointing out that he broke the rules. And it wasn’t just spitting on the ball, or sand papering their fingers, as pitchers used to do. This was a serious infraction of the rules….rules he broke over and over again. And when he was confronted he was arrogant, dismissive, derisive and he…..here is comes now…..he lied - over and over again saying “they haven’t heard my side yet”, while trying to avoid a meeting where he could tell his side. Well, we know his side now. He gambled - and he gambled on Reds games - every night - and he lied about it. Of course then I get the same old theme about him being a great player who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. No he doesn’t! He diminished the image of the game, just as badly as all of these people taking performance drugs.  All of whom should be thrown out along with their records.

One friend of mine was adamant about bringing Rose back until 2008 when 13 National Basketball Association’s referees were caught in a gambling scandal.   Finally my friend had to admit gambling undermines the integrity of the game when players and officials (including Pete Rose) break the rules.  Maybe most of these gamblers don’t do anything more than place a wager. Maybe they never get so far in they owe the bookie money they can’t pay back. Maybe they never bet against their own team, or the teams in games in which they’re officiating. Maybe they don't rig games.  But so what? They all know the rules going in. They all know the punishment for breaking those rules. They all know the reason for those rules….and they ALL AGREE to abide by those rules.

I can’t imagine a more destructive lesson for young people entering professional sports than reinstating Pete Rose, and I don't care how many hits this guy had.  It's not about batting averages, it's about the integrity of the game, and that has to be bigger than this cry baby popularity contest Rose is running.