by Matthew Emma

Created on: July 08, 2009   Last Updated: July 15, 2009

Few athletes can say their life story has been subject to as much scrutiny as former baseball star Pete Rose. This amazing, accomplished, three-time world champion used talent, hard work, grit and determination to become one of the best players of all time. Not only were Rose's statistics gaudy, but his work ethic and hardnosed play became the model from which other players patterned their game.

However, Rose also battled a terrible demon in a gambling addiction. At the height of this problem, Rose bet on Major League games as manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Reports surfaced he went as far as to wager on Reds games while manager. As a result of these issues, Rose, in 1989, was handed down and agreed to a lifetime banishment from the sport.

Over the course of the last two decades, baseball fans and sports media personalities have been debating whether or not Charlie Hussle, as Rose was nicknamed, deserves to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. There are those who believe Rose's gambling problems tarnished the sport and his image to such a significant degree that he doesn't deserve the privilege of being in an institution that honors the sport's elite. Yet others argue statistics are all that matter and Rose's off the field problems are irrelevant. If you ask me, I concur with the latter opinion and it isn't debatable.

The numbers don't lie. The great football coach Bill Parcells is famous for saying, "you are what your record says you are." If that can be translated into baseball stats, Rose's numbers indicate he is a slam dunk Hall of Famer.

Rose played for 24 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos. Through the course of his career, which began in 1963 and lasted until 1986, Rose's lifetime regular season numbers included setting Major League records in hits (4,256), at-bats (14,053) and games played (3,562); a .303 batting average, 160 home runs and 1,314 runs batted in. In addition, Rose was a 17-time all-star, was voted Rookie of the Year in 1963, earned Most Valuable Player honors in 1973 and was tabbed Most Valuable Player of the 1975 World Series.

Rose was also a clutch playoff performer. In 268 career post-season at bats, he earned a .321 batting average with 86 hits, five home runs and 22 runs batted in. He also amassed more than 400 wins as Reds skipper, from 1984-1989.

This is the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. It is important to reiterate this institution honors the legacies

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