by Wally Steele

Created on: June 09, 2009   Last Updated: June 14, 2009

I can not tell you the number of times that I had the privilege of watching Pete Rose make plays that were simply unbelievable. The amazing fact was that it happened in most of the games in which he played. so unlike other players. He seemed to have the ability to do the impossible when it came to making a play, any play, it did not matter if it were in the first inning of a game or the last game winning play. He would always hustle to make every single play to the best of his ability. It would not matter if he was obviously going to be thrown out, Pete would run down the baseline as if he had just hit a single always hoping to beat the throw. I can still remember that day in the all star game when he went head long into into the catcher to score. It did not matter that he could be hurt . He just wanted to score in the game, anything for a win. Yes, it was an all star game in which other players were playing in cruise control but not Pete. He was there to win.

He was all that baseball was about, hustle, desire, and a willingness to win, despite the chance that he could be hurt when he did. He did make mistakes in life but in baseball he was what all of us wanted to be. He did not take steroids, he did not take an inning off to rest, he did not take advantage of his status, he played baseball to the best of his ability every day. What more could we ask of any player; he was baseball as it should be played. Mickey Mantle had a drinking problem, Lord knows the Babe had his faults, but they played baseball as it should be played and they were rewarded by being inducted into the hall of fame. Pete deserves his spot there as well and we should honor the player and allow him the opportunity to stand among the greats because of his demonstrated greatness in baseball.

I do not want to ignore the fact that he failed when it came to his gambling, but he paid his price. He has been away from the game by baseball's choice long enough, let us allow this man to stand among the greats for his ability to play baseball. We seem to ignore so much today in our so called greats and yet we continue to punish a player who just wanted to play baseball every day to the best of his ability. He was a baseball player who set the tone for a generation of players who knew the game inside and out. I say give Pete his chance to be part of the history of a game that stands for skill, desire, and that is developed by practice, hustle and sacrifice.

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