pete rose & the hall of fame Essay -- essays research papers

Pete Rose & the Hall of Fame When I go watch my Chicago Cubs at beautiful Wrigley field I am concerned with the game and what is in front of me, not what is going on off the field. I go to enjoy the game and the talent of the athletes that play. I could care less about what Sammy Sosa is doing off the field, he is the man because of his skills on the field and what he does for Americas’ past time. Last time I was sitting on the third base line and Sammy stepped up to the plate I did not think to myself â€Å"I wonder if he hits his wife like he hits a baseball,† or â€Å"he looks like a big time gambler,† I was shouting his name and clapping in support for hope of another homer being sent over the ivy covered wall. My enthusiasm was booming for this mans talent and what he brings to the table to help my cubbies win. Now would you not think that a baseball player in the Hall of Fame should be looked at the same way? Should a hall of famer not be jugged based on his baseball skills and what he did on the field? Well that does not seem to be the case when it comes to Pete Rose. Since being banned from baseball in 1989 for off field actions he denies, he has repeatedly been denied access to Cooperstown. Pete Rose was one of the greatest baseball players ever and should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame because of it. Pete was placed on the ineligible list of baseball players in 1989 for allegedly betting on baseball, the worst baseball â€Å"sin† you can commit. He was reported to the FBI by one of his bookies, Ron Peters. â€Å"Peters testified that Rose also bet on his own Reds (only to win, allegedly), even placing calls from the stadium† (Goldman 23). Rose claims that he never bet on baseball only other sports, but various bookies say otherwise, claiming that Rose started betting on baseball after losing largely on other sports. Checks received by bookies had been linked to Rose through finger prints and handwriting further incriminating him. With no direct proof that he bet specifically on baseball Pete Rose was still banned from the game. â€Å"I can't say if Rose bet on baseball—I don't know. But he has paid his dues. The guy deserves to be back [in baseball] and in the Hall of Fame,† former Cincinnati Reds player Tommy Helms told newspapers. In 1991 one year be fore he would be eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, players banned from the game coincidently ... ...amidst the crowds roar, I can only imagine what the suspense must have been like when Rose tied the all-time hit record in the windy city, a game before his home crowed in Cincinnati. What Pete Rose did for the game is undeniable. Alleged actions should not restrict one of Baseballs all-time greatest players from being inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. Rose’s records will continue to stand further on reminding us all of his greatness! Goldman, David. â€Å"The Saga of Pete Rose.† Biography. April 2003. Vol. 7 Issue 4: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9299185&db=aph Sowell, Thomas. â€Å"Pete Rose & Shoeless Jackson.† Human Events. March 24, 2003. Vol. 59 Issue 10: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9357506&db=aph Kindred, David. â€Å"Give Pete a Chance? No way.† Sporting News. March 17, 2003. Vol. 227 Issue 11: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9296786&db=aph Orecklin, Michelle. â€Å"Another Rose May be Blooming Again.† Time. Vol. 160 Issue 26 p1/5 Costas, Bob, Joe Garner, and George Foreman. And The Fans Roared. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Inc, 2000. www.PeteRose.com