The Severed Cortex

Pete Rose signed 300 baseballs back in 2004 with the inscription I'm sorry I bet on baseball, once again proving that deep down in his core he's really a scumbag. This is the latest in a long line of things Pete has done to sully the name of baseball. Over the years my stance on Pete had softened. I even felt sorry for him when Jim Grey ambushed him at Game 2 of the 1999 World Series; Pete's first and only official appearance endorsed by MLB since the lifetime ban on him. I really thought it was going to be a time that Pete Rose and baseball could finally settle their differences and reunite. Because, by god, Pete Rose deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. His numbers proved it.
I've argued this with anyone willing to discuss it the last couple of years. Bud Selig should relent. Off the field actions should be separated from on the field actions and as far as the Hall is concerned, only on the field actions matter.
After this latest example in the Pete Rose saga I have to admit that I'm wrong. Baseball, unlike most other professional sports, demands a certain amount of respect for the game from the players. Pete unquestionably exhibited that on the field. Unfortunately, Pete has unquestionably not exhibited that off the field. This time he's done it by mocking and disrespecting the game. You know what Pete? The Hall of Fame has it's share of scumbags already. I see no need to add another one.

9/24/2006
I looked to see if my post had been sucked in by the Google bot by Googling 'pete rose + scumbag'. Turns out that a lot of people agree with me.