Misery Loves Company: Two Guys Watch Baseball

On a Roll with Time on My Hands, or, Another Reason Why Bud Selig Sucks

If the recent Baseball Prospectus report claiming that Pete Rose will not only be allowed back in baseball, but permitted to manage by 2005 is true, then Bud Selig truly is sent from Hades to ruin the game I love. We know the following things to be true about Rose:

1. He was one of the all-time great competitors in baseball history.
2. He bet on baseball while employed as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds
3. He bet on Reds games while manager of said Reds
4. He has a really, really bad haircut

1 & 4 are really not relevant to whether he should be allowed to work in some capacity in Major League Baseball, because a) they're outweighed by 2 & 3, and b) he can wear a hat. However, 2 & 3 should disqualify him from any future employment in professional baseball - even if he admits his guilt and apologizes. Quite simply, betting on the game is the single worst thing any athlete can do, even if betting on his own team. It compromises the integrity of the competition, which is the foundation upon which professional sports is built. By permitting Rose to participate in MLB activities, Selig is telling all players that integrity is less important than name recognition and dollars in the till, and that's sickening.

The Hall of Fame is an entirely different question. I believe Rose belongs based on his merits as a player, and that his plaque should clearly stipulate that he compromised the integrity of the game after his playing career was over. I also believe that he should not be allowed to give a speech at his induction. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong, though I doubt it.