Most of the time, I have a memory like an elephant. For some reason though, I can’t seem to recall what I was doing on Sunday night when word “leaked” that Peter Edward Rose finally admitted that he bet on baseball. Maybe I was “surfing” (gawd, that term has become quite passé now hasn’t it?) ESPN.com and read the news. I could have been watching SportsCenter or ESPNews and saw it come across the little ticker thingy at the bottom of the screen. I guess it doesn’t matter what I was doing or where I heard the news but reading or hearing the words “I bet on baseball” wasn’t quite as shocking as I thought it would. To be honest, I was more shocked when I loaded up ESPN.com and saw that Joe Gibbs was returning to coach the Redskins.

Perhaps it was because the evidence in the Dowd Report was so damning that even though my heart didn’t want to believe that Pete bet on baseball, I knew that he did. It could have been because sometime in December, I read an article by Rob Neyer on ESPN.com speculating that when Pete’s book came out that he would indeed admit that he committed the crime. For whatever reason, I don’t know why I wasn’t shocked by the news.

Even though I haven’t been shocked by the news, it isn’t to say that it hasn’t intrigued me. As I am writing this article, I am watching the Prime Time interview on ABC with Pete and Charles Gibson. In the past week, I have watched my fair share of SportCenter, read plenty of ESPN.com, and in general, kept myself well informed of the situation.

To be honest though, I wasn’t sure about writing an article about Pete for Youngmanridge.com. What more can I say about the situation that hasn’t already been said? As a baseball nut, there is no way I can’t comment on the situation. It would be like a LOTR geek not lining up a week before for the premiere showing of the latest installment.

You see, whenever Pete Rose’s name in mentioned, the obvious question comes up. Should he be reinstated and eligible for the Hall of Fame? As of this very moment, I can honestly give a fuck (had to slip the fuck word in the article) whether Pete Rose gets in the Hall of Fame or not. To put it more eloquently, as a baseball fan, it doesn’t matter to me anymore. Many baseball executive types, bitter ex-players (I’m talking to you Bob Feller), and baseball writers will say that Pete shouldn’t. Baseball fans and more specifically, Cincinnati Red’s fans and other columnists, Pete’s peers, and countless others believe that he should. I’m not going to side with either camp, because really, I’m not passionate either way.

You see, as a player, Pete definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. No one can argue his credentials: 20 time all-star, 1973 MVP, 10 time top-ten finishes in MVP voting, 3 time batting champ, .303 career batting average, all-time leader in games played and last but not least, 4,256 career hits, making him the all-time hits leader. (Check out Baseball-reference.com for any other statistical info about Rose) There are of course the intangibles as well. The way he played the game is to be admired. Anyone nicknamed Charlie Hustle (as a side note, he was given the nickname by Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford as more of a poke at him during his rookie spring training) and lives up to the nickname has to be admired. Combining the intangibles and the stats, there is no way you can keep him out of the HOF.

With his current admission to betting on the game an argument can be made to keep him out of the HOF. For anyone who happens to be reading this article and doesn’t know a whole lot of history and the rules of baseball, the only mortal sin in baseball is gambling on the game. Rob Neyer’s brief history of gambling in baseball can explain why gambling is considered such a mortal sin much better than I can. I can completely understand why people want to keep Pete out of the Hall of Fame.

However, I can’t completely convince myself that Rose should be kept out of the Hall of Fame due to what can easily be called “personal” reasons. You see, the Hall of Fame in my mind is a place where the great players should be honored for what they did on the baseball field. There have been plenty of unsavory characters elected, including the man whose record Pete broke. Ty Cobb may have been one of the most ferocious players to put on a uniform. His ferocity may have been appreciated on the field to casual fans, but also his aggression carried off the field as well. Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth were carousing drunks who couldn’t keep their dicks in their pants. As ball players, all three are hall of famers. As people, sadly they fall very short. An argument can be made for several players that they weren't the greatest people in the world and violated quite a few social morays along the way. Regardless, the players are still in the HOF.

Personally, I’m more of the camp that believes that Pete should be in the Hall of Fame, but he should never ever be in a position to make decisions that can affect the outcome of a game. I don’t want to see Pete in a baseball uniform ever again. That being said, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him made eligible for a Hall of Fame vote. I also think that should he be admitted to the Hall, it needs to be noted that Bart Giamatti concluded that Pete should be placed on the permanent ineligible list for his involvement with gambling on baseball games that he was involved in.

Even if Rose doesn’t become eligible in order to be elected into the Hall of Fame, his infamy will live on. You can’t erase from the record books the 4,256 hits, the fans love for him, and the countless other accomplishments he achieved on the baseball fan. Honestly, this is the reason why it doesn’t really matter to me if he is shut out of the Hall of Fame. His gambling will be a cautionary tale, much like the 1919 Black Sox scandal. His accomplishments will be remembered even if he is in the HOF or not. Pete Rose is an infamous character in the lore of baseball and no museum is going to change that.

With all that I have written, my parting words will be what should be written on Peter Edward Rose’s Hall of Fame plaque should he be admitted:

Gathered 4,256 hits in a 24 year career to become baseball’s all-time Hit King amongst many other accomplishments (I didn’t want to list them all). Noted for his aggressive style of play that earned him the nickname “Charlie Hustle”. Was a member of the famed Big Red Machine that won consecutive championships in 1975 and 1976. Was placed on the permanent ineligible list in 1989 for violating baseball rule that prohibits gambling on gambling. Was reinstated in 200? and elected to the Hall of Fame despite his admission in 2004 that he gambled on baseball.