Can someone please explain to me why it's so important that Pete Rose enter the Hall of Fame?

I have witnessed the heated debates over this topic. They all start in similar fashion. Over the course of watching a game, something will ultimately spark a conversation involving Charlie Hustle. Then the verbal duel begins. They start with a friendly sparring of words and end with either an agreement to disagree or in need of friends having to intervene (the level of ancillary participation depends upon the amount of alcohol that has been consumed). Most times I sit back and enjoy the show because the answer is staring them right in the face.

Is Pete Rose's legacy in the game of baseball going to increase when he enters the Hall of Fame?

The answer is a resounding NO!

Will his legacy decrease if he enters the Hall of Fame?

I'm not so sure what that answer will be. But I don't see how it can get any bigger.

Is there any baseball fan out there, even the casual one, who does not know that Pete Rose is the all-time hit king? Is there a baseball fan out there that would not recognize his face? Do we not know that he played five different positions during his career, ran the bases with reckless abandon, was an integral part of the big red machine and brought a championship to Philadelphia. Would Rose entering the Hall of Fame change that?

So what's the problem?

The truth is, Pete Rose has become an even bigger baseball figure due to his absence from the Hall of Fame. Any young or casual baseball fan that did not know Pete Rose sure found out about him while witnessing that unbelievable standing ovation prior to Game 2 of the 1999 World Series between the Yankees and Atlanta. To refresh your memory, Game Two was played in Atlanta. The same city that witnessed Mr. Hank Aaron break Babe Ruth's record to became the all time Home Run King. And yet he played second fiddle to Rose!

By the way, does anyone remember Stan Musial's reception? It was lukewarm at best. And his inclusion to the All-Century Team was due to the committee's decision to include him as part of the outfield constituency. Otherwise, the greatest player in the history of the St. Louis Cardinals, a man who finds himself in rarified air when combining all offensive statistical categories, as well as arguably one of the most respected and revered characters that the game has ever seen would have been omitted. But he was a nice guy. We all know where the nice guy ends up.

But I digress.

Every year, Rose gets more write-in votes than anyone else. Every year, his name comes up when it's time to elect the new inductees. Every year, he finds himself signing autographs across the street from Cooperstown for droves of fans hoping to get a glimpse of him, and to pay a handsome ransom for his John Hancock. The truth is Pete Rose gets more publicity than most active ballplayers today. Furthermore (and probably more poignant) he has more notoriety than most retired ballplayers who are already in the Hall of Fame.

We've all heard the cliché that any publicity is better than no publicity. We have witnessed the public flock to see the latest art exhibit that was received with harsh criticism from the conservation constituency. We have rushed to the nearest bookstore in search of the latest novel flagged by a network's nightly show or religious sect, only to find it sold out.

The Paris Hilton "fiasco" is the latest in a long line of "bad pub turned good." On the surface, her little soiree with the porn kingpin should have been something that crippled her celebrity status. She went from being an untouchable to being completely accessible. Yet, her show on FOX attracted over 27 MILLION viewers. And I doubt it was due to her fantastic acting ability. I wonder what the show's ratings would have been had she not displayed her "ass"ets for the world to see. The timing was surely suspect.

And yet I digress again.

Maybe Major League Baseball does not wish to touch upon the subject because it does not want to set a precedent that future candidates can use to argue the severity of their indiscretions. Gary Sheffield has made a hobby of turning what were supposedly great situations into unbearable ones. He always seemed to find faults in an organization that eventually led to his departure. But is he starting to put together Hall of Fame credentials? Absolutely! Will he be able to say, 'well, at least I never bet on baseball?" That remains to be seen. But it's a question that Major League Baseball surely does not want to face.

And what about Mr. Albert Belle? The man had a nine-year run that's comparable to any major leaguer in the history of the game. Keep in mind that this man once hit 50 home runs and 50 doubles in the same year. And he did it before "The Great Inflation." His numbers were bordering on mind numbing when compared to the rest of the league. Furthermore, he was the catalyst for the resurrection of the Cleveland Indians organization. The Indians were so bad that their only attention came from one of the greatest baseball movies ever, Major League. Usually movies like that use fictional franchises. But that wasn't necessary because the Indians were that bad. Actually, an equally funny movie based on College Football called Necessary Roughness used the Kansas Jayhawks as a team they were able to tie. There's a university that doesn't know what to do with a ball unless there's a three-point line, involves hardwood floors and some rock, chalk, Jayhawk!

Dammit, I digress one more time!

If Kirby Puckett could enter the hall for his accomplishments based on an injury shortened 12-year career, then Belle most certainly merits serious consideration. But popular opinion seems to agree that his character will be his short fall. He'll receive citations because of his attitude towards the media, fans and children out during Halloween looking to re-enact Spain's running with the bulls with Mr. Belle playing “El Toro.” Except I guess his version actually dealt with horses considering he used an automo... wait, I have no more digressions remaining.

The point is how could Albert Belle be kept out of the Hall due to personal improprieties if Pete is forgiven for those committed directly against the game of baseball. At least Albert Belle could become a manager (not sure who would do that but he could). I highly doubt that even if reinstated, Pete Rose will ever be allowed near a dugout while a game is being played.

I realize the Rose ordeal is old news. One that started way back in 1989 (hmmm, isn't that the same year of that Earthquake World Series? Must be a coincidence.). Yet the dilemma only seems to build on itself in significance and public awareness. I don't believe that A. Bartlett Giamatti had this in mind when he issued the lifetime ban on Pete.

Unfortunately, the subject can no longer be ignored. Therefore, Major League Baseball has intensified its resolution to find a solution because it is becoming too tall to tame. They have to face the issue despite the aforementioned precedent that it can set for future debates regarding a player's merit for induction.

Thousands of fans are demanding reparations for a man who has done his time. "Honor our all time hit king," the masses sing.

Isn't he being honored enough? The man has reached a celebrity status beyond the world of baseball due to his gambling. He couldn’t have scripted a better ending to his career given his character: High Risk Equals High Reward! But that won’t be enough for the masses. So I’ll offer this final thought:

Name two other players from the 1919 Black Sox Scandal other than Shoeless Joe Jackson? If you can, then be honest to yourself and name two that you knew before seeing the movie “Eight Men Out?” Shoeless Joe will forever be linked with baseball. And that conversation usually revolves around why he should be in the Hall of Fame vs. why the team he played has denied his induction.

I assure you, Pete Rose’s legacy will live way beyond our own life expectancy - it will actually grow while he shrinks during his latter days.