workingDo you think that Pete Rose is now telling the whole truth (in other words, do you believe he didn't bet against the Reds or make bets from the clubhouse)?
Yes
9(20.0%)
No
36(80.0%)
Do you think Pete Rose should be allowed in the Hall of Fame?
Yes
24(53.3%)
No
21(46.7%)
Do you think Pete Rose should be allowed to manage again?
Yes
6(13.3%)
No
39(86.7%)
Has all this changed your opinion of Pete Rose?
Yes, for the better
0(0.0%)
Yes, for the worse
18(38.3%)
No
29(61.7%)
My opinion: Pete Rose may have finally overestimated the affection of the fans. I think the assumption that all he had to do was say he was sorry and all would be forgiven was correct -- of course, he hasn't actually said he's sorry, just sorry he got caught. In addition, he's proven himself greedy, self-serving, and disrespectful to this year's Hall of Fame class (congratulations to Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor). A backlash would not surprise me at all.
I agree with Terrence Moore on ESPN last night -- there are a lot of players in the Hall of Fame who were not men of character. It's the Baseball Hall of Fame, not the Character Hall of Fame -- and frankly, I think we'd be better off as a society if there was a Character Hall of Fame somewhere, but that doesn't make money. So let him in, because he was undeniably a great player. But for heaven's sake, DON'T let Rose manage again. And while you're at it, let Shoeless Joe in too. If Rose gets in, so should he.
(Oh, and in only tangentially related information, the good folks who make ESPN's Page Two, and especially the Daily Quickie, such a snarky highlight of my day have my heart.)
