Every year we
hit two periods of time where the stories begin. It seems a bit
lighter in January… heavier in July… but for years the foundation
has essentially developed around a simple concept…
How
do you tell the story of baseball without including Pete Rose?
And
I’m not all that far off with that statement, even though this
isn’t a true quote I can credit to a specific person.
See…
sure… the true debate is about Pete Rose and his place on Major
League Baseball’s list of permanently ineligible players, and
by practice and extension, his exclusion from the National Baseball
Hall of Fame.
But
somewhere in the heart of the argument, as emotions and tangents
get stripped away, we arrive at a simple concept. And, I feel
fairly comfortable saying that any of us that know the reason
why Rose is on the ineligible list has heard something virtually
identical to the idea of… again…
How
do you tell the story of baseball without including Pete Rose?
And
the answer is… you don’t. (And… in fact… they don’t.)
In
the beautiful northeast setting of Cooperstown, New York… with
a scenic drive into the village, virtually clichéd tree-lined
drives and an everyone-seems-to-know-you total of roughly 2,000
year-round residents… is a Main Street that for all true measures
is dedicated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
The
best of baseball are honored here… many treasures of baseball
are preserved and displayed here… and, if such a single physical
location is to be named and agreed upon, the story of baseball
is told here.
Each
year, usually in early January, announcements are made about honorees
that have been selected for induction into the Baseball Hall of
Fame. And each year, usually in late July, the induction ceremonies
for those honorees are held.
And,
ever since he was declared ineligible by the league, along with
a separate but supporting decision of ineligibility for the Hall
of Fame, the media goes crazy in January and July with stories
about Pete Rose.
And
these stories and arguments and debates get emotional, can be
hysterically funny, and often have all sorts of great sideshow
elements featuring Rose signing autographs in Cooperstown, denying
all allegations against him, denying some allegations but admitting
other allegations against him, releasing interviews and authorized
biographies and more and even more where he argues for and against
all sorts of different levels of admission of his innocence and
guilt.
Eventually
the senses overload -- Rose admits he hasn’t admitted what he
admitted to not doing when he did it -- the conversation gets
numbing, and we… again… arrive at a simple concept…
How
do you tell the story of baseball without including Pete Rose?
We’re
talking about the legend of Charlie Hustle… the tale of Ray Fosse…
the histories of championships for the Reds and Phillies (including
possibly the greatest World Series ever… 1975… Cincinnati and
Boston)… totals for hits and games played… and…
And
if you read enough of the articles about Rose and his ineligibility…
if you listen to enough media reports… if you in some way find
yourself exposed in any way… eventually you get to the point where
something funny happens.
You
get the idea that while Rose may occasionally visit the village
of Cooperstown, that centerpiece on Main Street completely ignores
him. You begin to believe that the all-time leader in areas like
career base hits, career singles, career at bats, and career games
played, is left out of the picture… out of the fabric… out of
the story of baseball.
And
for years, that’s what I thought was happening. Because I listened
to the media reports… and because no one debated Pete Rose was
on baseball’s list if ineligible players… and because everyone
agreed that the Hall of Fame recognized the list of ineligible
players and kept them from induction… which all seemed to arrive
at the same place…
Telling
the story of baseball without Pete Rose.
And
on a visit to that quaint and peaceful village, I found out firsthand
that simply isn’t true.
In
July of 2014 and June of 2015, I happened to be in Cooperstown.
During these visits, I walked inside the National Baseball Hall
of Fame and Museum, and I looked around. And it turns out… Pete
Rose is there. And not just once.
He’s
recognized for his part in The Big Red Machine…
He’s
recognized as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies…
And
he even has plaques and notices and places in all sorts of statistical
exhibits that document his hits and so on...
In
short… the Museum and the Hall of Fame are two different parts
of this building. And that is something I have never heard explained,
covered or noted in any of these other stories. I’m sure I’m not
the first to discover it… not the first to note it… and you may
even already know it… but it’s still important. Because it changes
the argument significantly.
I
do understand that many might argue that enshrinement in Cooperstown…
that induction to the Hall… is an honor for a person, and a celebration
of a career and recognition of contributions that extend well
beyond the simple acknowledgement of a place in the story. I would
most likely agree with any argument founded on such claims.
Instead
though… for a moment, I want you to understand that for many,
those that aren’t aware that artifacts from Rose’s career and
recognition for his accomplishments are on display… it creates
a completely different scenario. Most of the coverage is saying
Rose’s place in baseball history isn’t being depicted. We’re being
presented a tale where the front gates of the building are closed,
Rose faces from across Main Street, and Ian McKellen is standing
opposite him saying something close to “you shall not pass” (likely
not in Gandalf robes, but that image is probably more striking
than picturing McKellen in a cap with a warm-up jacket and cleats).
And
that’s simply not true.
Look…
honestly… I’m not the person to offer even a true opinion on whether
or not Pete Rose should be a member of the Hall of Fame. I’m not
a professional baseball writer… I don’t have enough historical
knowledge… and we could go on.
That’s
not what this article is about though.
Instead
I want to point out how we, as fans as well as a general public,
are being handed a completely different set of considerations
and arguments. It’s a listing of thoughts and points that cover
the ground of Rose’s deceptions and lies, examine his play on
the field, question the impact of his gambling on his professional
actions and decisions, and so on. Ultimately, as I noted, it winds
up in that simple idea of how his baseball career is important
to baseball history. Too important to not be a part of it.
The
debate we are handed, which is in many cases met with strong emotions
and opinions, is misleading and false though.
Pete
Rose… the player… is in the Hall of Fame… the National Baseball
Hall of Fame and Museum. Pete Rose is, repeatedly, mentioned and
honored for his accomplishments and career.
Pete
Rose… the man… is not enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He’s on the
ineligible list.
And
wherever your thoughts on the matter take you, the fact is that
the story of baseball is not being told by omitting Pete Rose.