Reds to induct Pete Rose into team Hall of Fame
By Israel Fehr
Big League Stew
Pete Rose is introduced before the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 14, 2015, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Pete Rose is introduced before the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 14, 2015, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff … There's a Hall of Fame that will take Pete Rose after all. The Cincinnati Reds announced Tuesday they will induct Rose into their own team Hall of Fame this summer, bypassing the usual election process that adheres to the rules of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
It's well documented that Rose is banned from being enshrined in Cooperstown as a result of his presence on the permanently ineligible for having bet on baseball.
There was hope that with Rob Manfred taking over as commissioner that Rose might have a shot at reinstatement, but Manfred ruled in December that he would not overturn the ban.
[Related: Pete Rose denied reinstatement by MLB commish Rob Manfred]
Perhaps motivated by Manfred's verdict, the Reds decided it was time they honored Rose anyway, and changed their rules to do so. Even wth all the controversy that perpetually surrounds him and his legacy, Rose remains a beloved figure in Cincinnati. A native Cincinnatian, he was at the center of two World Series championship-winning teams, 3,358 of his all-time record 4,256 hits came while with the Reds, and he was allowed to participate, to much applause, in events at this past summer's All-Star game at Great American Ball Park.
Reds president Bob Castellini released the following statement in conjunction with the team's announcement:
"Inducting Pete into the Reds Hall of Fame will be a defining moment in the 147-year history of this storied franchise. He is one of the greatest players to ever wear a Reds uniform and it will be an unforgettable experience watching him being honored as such."
So it's not the Hall of Fame but it's at least a Hall of Fame. Rose's induction ceremony will take place during the weekend of June 24-26 and will also include the official retirement of Rose's No. 14 and the Reds have a plan to install a statue of Rose outside their ballpark in the near future.
Poster Comment:
Pete Rose, "Charlie Hustle", was a great player. His only crime was to be gambling on baseball. He could've been gambling on any other sport and it would've been OK, but he was gambling on baseball. And that was an unforgivable sin in the eyes of MLB.