“Pete Rose: A Hall of Fame career clouded by controversy

Dedication. It is a driving principle for every athlete of all ages. Dedication is the driving force behind working hard even when everything does not seem to be going your way. Nobody showed more dedication for any sport than Pete Rose. Rose was so dedicated New York Yankee greats Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford gave him the name Charlie Hustle. However, there was one thing Pete Rose could not do, make it into the Hall of Fame. 

Being in the Hall of Fame is the highest Honor for any baseball player. Only 346 people have made it into the hall of fame since its inception in 1936. Many rules are put into place to make sure only the best can make it into the hall of fame. According to the official site of the Baseball Hall of Fame the requirements an individual must met are:

1. “A baseball player must have been active as a player in the Major Leagues at some time during a period beginning fifteen (15) years before and ending five years prior to election.
2. Player must have played in each of ten (10) Major League championship seasons, some part of which must have been within the period described in 3(A).
3. Player shall have ceased to be an active player in the Major Leagues at least five calendar years preceding the election but may be otherwise connected with baseball.
4. In case of the death of an active player or a player who has been retired for less than five full years, a candidate who is otherwise eligible shall be eligible in the next regular election held at least six months after the date of death or after the end of the five year period, whichever occurs first.
5. Any player on Baseball’s ineligible list shall not be an eligible candidate.”.

Pete Rose was one of the best players to play the game, but also one of the most controversial due to gambling on baseball. Because of this, there are two different opinions on the election of Pete Rose to the Hall of Fame, the case for, or the case against.Pete Rose has many reasons to be in the Hall of Fame. Without looking at any of the awards or records you can see he was on one of the best teams of all time, The Big Red Machine. The Cincinnati Reds were one of the best teams of the 1970’s winning two world series rings in that time. For this accomplishment they were given the  name of the big red machine. Pete Rose also has accumulated records such as the most hits in a career all time. As well as, the record for most at-bats and games. In his playing career he was a 17x all star, won MVP and Rookie of the year, won the World Series three times with one world series MVP, two batting titles, seven time leader in hits in a season and three times in runs. He had a legendary career that sets him apart from so many others. Everyone makes mistakes, but can we forgive Pete Rose for gambling.  

Written by: Jack Loveday

Graphic by: Sona Saravana