Rose retired from the league in 1986 and denied ever betting on any baseball game until 2004, when he admitted to betting on games as a manager but never as an active player.
Betting on games as a manager is wrong in itself, but betting as a player is even worse, which is why I think he wanted to make sure he separated the two.
The only problem is evidence has surfaced from ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” proving Rose bet on games in his last season as an active player. A notebook was found which proved he bet on Cincinnati Reds games in which he played.
Betting on games you play in is probably the worst thing you can do in regard to betting. Baseball players are now paid millions of dollars each year, and Rose was getting paid above the average salary during his time as a player. So I don’t understand why he felt the need to bet on games in the first place. It’s not like he needed the money. I guess some people just like to live life on the edge.
He was permanently banned from baseball in 1989 and has applied for reinstatement twice since his dismissal. He applied in 1997 and was denied and then applied again this year. Rose can’t even be considered for the Hall of Fame until his ban from the MLB has been removed. Even if his ban is removed, he would still have to be voted in, and betting on games will make it hard for him to get votes.
When he admitted to betting on games as a manager, I think he had a slight chance of being reinstated back into the MLB sooner or later. Now that it has come out that he’s betted on games as a player, I don’t know if they will ever let Rose back into the MLB. His Hall of Fame dreams are most likely over.
It’s interesting how using steroids is less of an offense than betting on games. There are players in the Hall of Fame today who used steroids at some point in their careers and were not banned from the league, but Rose’s offense could potentially keep him out for a lifetime. Sadly enough, he was better off using steroids as opposed to gambling.
frbonner@indiana.edu
