Growing up Pete Rose was my favorite baseball player. Once in Little League our coach asked us what number we wanted and I chose Pete's number, 14! As with NFL football in NC 50 years ago there was no MLB teams, but the Reds as well as the Yankees were shown often in the seventies on national television stations in NC. Although I followed the Yankees Thurman Munson, Bucky Dent, Reggie Jackson, as well as pitchers Catfish Hunter. Guidry, and Sparky Lyle, The Big Red Machine with Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez, and Concepcion was my favorite team.
I always said Rose should be banned from the HOF, because of his gambling mostly because the rules stated," if you're ever caught gambling you would be banned from baseball." I believe there was a sign in each MLB clubhouse and or as you entered the field that said, "Absolutely No Gambling Allowed." Pete saw it every day as he entered the playing field. He knew what the rules were and he broke them as if they were never there.
Johnny Bench said," if you let Pete in then you have go home and tell your children that you don't have to obey the rules."
Pete was no saint either as he openly cheated on his first wife seemingly without remorse and allegedly has sex with a 16 year old girl. The same was with his gambling. No remorse for a long time. Who knows what all he was into.
But the HOF is not the hall of saints. As there are many players in the HOF that were probably as unprincipled as Pete and maybe worse.
I've always been conflicted with whether I think Rose should be in The HOF or not. I guess I've softened a bit over the years and with MLB partnering with gambling companies, part of me, 51% is saying, Yes, Peter Edward Rose Sr. belongs in The Baseball Hall of Fame.
RIP Pete. I hope you made peace with God before you died.