by Matthew Emma

Created on: July 03, 2009   Last Updated: July 04, 2009

The saga of Pete Rose, the legendary former baseball player, is the classic story of a popular superstar falling from grace with a deafening thud. "Charlie Hustle," as Rose was known, was a perennial All-Star, who became the all-time hits leader in Major League Baseball (MLB) over career lasting nearly two decades. He was also well known for how hard he played the game. He never took a play off and, quite often, was considered the gold standard for how younger players should model their game and work ethic.

However, for all of his successes on the field, Rose possessed a dark side. He fell victim to a serious gambling addiction that consumed him. His problem spiraled out of control and it was eventually proved he, as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, bet on baseball, which was strictly prohibited by MLB rules. Unconfirmed reports even suggested Rose bet on games involving the Reds while the team's skipper. Complicating matters further with the powers that be in MLB and the court of public opinion was that, despite the presence of significant evidence proving he bet on baseball, Rose denied that he committed such actions and often lied about it. Only in the last several years has he finally admitted to betting on baseball. As a result of these rules violations, Rose agreed to lifetime banishment from the sport in 1989. The discussion of whether or not he should be re-instated has been hotly debated on the sports radio airwaves for years. If it were up to be, I'd say yes for several reasons.

Rose has paid his debt to the sport. It has been 20 years since the ex-star was banished from the game. It is understandable those in charge of MLB hold a certain level of resentment towards Rose. It cannot be argued that he violated rules governing the sport, tarnished the integrity of the game and committed actions bordering on the criminal. That said, perhaps it is time let bygones be bygones. Let's fact it, there are many violent criminals who serve sentences far less than Rose's excommunication has lasted.

Since Rose's exit, the issue of steroids and cheating in MLB has become a much larger and pronounced black eye for the sport. If baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and his lieutenants continue to look at Rose with a jaundiced eye, they are being extremely hypocritical. Need I remind them they presided over the sport when the use of performance enhancing drugs exploded amongst its players. Not only did the baseball administration know about it, they turned the other way.

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