Now that Rose is dead, they reinstate him. MLB will profit from Pete Rose, but they made sure he could not.
The ban made sense when professional sports’ leagues were not in bed with gambling. It is the height of hypocrisy when every major league ballpark is festooned with MGM Resorts International, Draft Kings, ESPN Bet signs with odds listed for every pitch.
There are plenty of rogues in Cooperstown who cheated on their wives, their taxes and engaged in other nefarious activities too long to list. If only those without flaws were enshrined in Cooperstown, the place would be empty. Moreover, despite having a team in the Jim Crow South, MLB and Cooperstown excluded Blacks for decades. Cooperstown is about performance on the field.
The ultimate punishment is that Rose did not live to see the ban lifted. A suspension and censure would have sufficed for both Rose and Jackson. It’s the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Saints.
In MLB’s storied past, many used amphetamines, steroids and other drugs to enhance their performance and pitchers have admitted to using illegal substances on baseballs, while stealing signs is the game’s version of performance art. MLB’s product has never been pure. Everyone is looking for an edge to win.
Which is the greater crime? Betting on your team to win the game or cheating by using electronic communications during the World Series.
The 2017 Houston Astros anyone?
Same goes for the Dodger’s all-star Shohei Ohtani. It begs belief that his Japanese translator could place such huge bets without Ohtani knowing. MLB’s reaction: Nothing to see here.
The integrity of MLB? Give me a break.
FanDuel has a naming rights deal with several teams’ broadcast partners, meaning a handful of teams play on networks named for legalized bookies. While players and managers are still banned from betting on games, MLB reaps untold millions from sports books enticing fans to wager away.
The Classic Baseball Eras Committee convenes every three years and will not meet again until December 2027. However, Rose still needs 12 of 16 votes for enshrinement in Cooperstown. Given the committee’s membership many believe that Rose will face long odds, initially.
When Rose does finally get in, his induction will be sponsored by FanDuel, the official sports book of MLB.
Wanna bet?
