Heart

For those of you who remember, when A. Bartlett Giamatti was NL President in 1988, right before he became MLB Commissioner in '89, he suspended Rose for a month for bumping Dave Pallone in a game (and this was after Pallone initiated the incident by poking Rose in the face during an argument over a call that the umpire missed).  He gave him a 30 game suspension for that, and yet Pedro Guerrero received only a four game suspension later that season for flinging a bat a pitcher.  For the first months of the gambling investigation in '89, there was a lot of rumors about Giamatti having it in for Rose and Reds, because his beloved Red Sox were defeated by Cincinnati in the '75 World Series, but once I read the Dowd Report there was absolutely no doubt in my mind.  Pete bet on baseball, on a regular basis, bet on his own team (even if to win), and lied through his teeth about it for almost fifteen years (to the fans, to the team, to everyone, including himself).  Whatever respect I once held for the man, I lost.  

Unlike the Bonds fans in San Fran, I don't believe in deluding myself.  Pete committed the cardinal sin in baseball, and the fact the man is still hanging out at the race tracks and making numerous casino stops in Vegas tells me that he has no place in this game or the HOF.  He's an unrepentant gambling addict, who showed no regard for himself, his team, or the game of baseball.  Worse, more than anyone, because of his knowledge of he game, Pete was privy to the impact of his behavior.

There are many better examples and ambassadors to the game of baseball.  I'd suggest looking at the two most recent entrants into the Hall of Fame.

My father hasn't; I love him for it. But he's a much better man than his hero.

Yet on one freaky Saturday afternoon in Columbus, everything went wrong against an unranked, 24-point underdog.

The Buckeyes seemed in complete command when safety Damon Moore returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter. That gave top-ranked OSU what should've been an insurmountable 24-9 advantage.

But five turnovers, including one on a punt that bounced off the back of Nate Clements' helmet, changed the momentum. Michigan State also authored a TD drive of more than 90 yards and Paul Edinger kicked five field goals.

The Buckeyes' last gasp ended when Big Ten MVP Joe Germaine threw an interception in the end zone with 1:39 remaining. After this game, OSU ran the table to go 11-1 and finish second in the national polls. Michigan State ended up 6-6 and failed to earn a bowl bid.

  I was lying in bed with my head under the pillow when Germaine threw that interception.  But I wasn't angry or sad or emabarrassed.  I was just tired and I wanted to take a little break.

My life as a sports fan changed that day.  I now watch sporting events with a fervent interest in the sport, but somewhat detached from these notions of "that's my kinda guy playing for my team out there"

I have favorite teams and favorite players but I also (unfortunately, at times) have a stoic's perspective: These guys are great athletes but they're gonna have their bad days.  And these guys are fun to watch while they do their thing but very few of them are people that I'd want to spend time with and surely they feel the same about ordinary guys like me.

But I also think it's false that players who don't "hustle" are cheating the game of baseball - or that they don't earn their high salaries. There are thousands of people in this world who get by on talent rather than hard work. And I think most all baseball players work hard.

Also, so...Pete Rose bet on baseball because he knew the game. Grew up around it. Cared about it. If he really cared about the game, wouldn't he respect its integrity? Couldn't you say the same thing about a lot of other players who never ever bet on baseball?

Also, effort is more important to you than any kind of like, offical cheating? So...if someone tried hard and took steroids, that'd be ok with you?

And I agree that your poll choices suck.  I don't know anybody in baseball that is happy to be on a losing team, even if they are putting up good numbers for themselves.