On September 11, 1985, Pete Rose did what most thought was impossible. With a base hit against the San Diego Padres, Rose broke Ty Cobb’s long-standing hit record to reach 4,192 hits in his career. A several minute long celebration followed Rose’s historic accomplishment. Once Rose hung up his cleats for the final time, he was the holder of several Major League Baseball records, many of which still stand today. Rose, also known as Charlie Hustle, was adored by the American population. He personified what the American dream was, starting “from a humble beginning he raised his stature in life by virtue of hard work and brute determination to succeed.” There was not a doubt in anyone’s mind that he had earned himself a place in Cooperstown, …show more content…
Even after his eminent lifetime ban from baseball, the Major League still acknowledges all of his accomplishments. The record book still shows Pete Rose as one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game. In 1999, Rose was allowed by Commissioner Bud Selig to participate in the ceremonies of that year’s World Series after he was selected by fans to be represented on the All-Century Dream Team. Rose received an ovation much larger than all the other legends present at the festivities of the event. He was selected by the public for this honor and the public began to show more support to get Rose reinstated to baseball. After the World Series concluded, “national polls showed nearly 75 percent wanted Rose in the Hall of Fame” and “an Internet site calling for Rose’s reinstatement generated more than 300,000 petitions in the first two days.” The possibility of reinstatement has been tossed around since the Rose was initially banned, but Commissioner Selig had seriously considered reinstatement in 2003 if Rose admitted to placing bets on his own team in the 1980s. Rose had denied betting on baseball up to that point, but after fourteen years of banishment he finally came clean and admitted to gambling in 2004. Although Rose did what the Commissioner of Baseball wanted to happen before reinstatement was granted, Rose was …show more content…
Several members of the Baseball Hall of Fame had scandals that were blatantly ignored in order for them to enter Cooperstown. One of these controversial members is none other than the previous holder of the all-time hit record, Ty Cobb. Toward the end of Cobb’s distinguished career, allegations of gambling began to surface. The Commissioner of Baseball at the time, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, did everything in his power to hide these allegations. This was because what Cobb had accomplished on the field should not have been impacted by what he did off the field. Cobb was ultimately one of the first players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. If Cobb was to be used as a precedent, Pete Rose should be allowed back into baseball immediately. Pete Rose should be recognized as the record-shattering player he was, not as the player who shattered the integrity of