20 Years- Pete Rose by the numbers

Last week GM-Carson wrote about Pete Rose and gambling in baseball, yesterday, August 24, 2009, marked the 20th anniversary of Pete Rose being banned from baseball by then Commissioner A. Bartlett “Bart” Giamatti. Rose’s reinstatement into the game has been a topic of discussion in Bud Selig’s office, back yard cookouts, and bar rooms across the country since that day in 1989 and it is a perfect example of the punishment not fitting the crime.

Rose is baseballs all time leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), and at bats (14,053). Here are a few more reasons why “Charlie Hustle” belongs in the Hall.

24- Seasons that Rose played in the major leagues.

10- Seasons in which Rose collected 200 or more hits.

7- Times Rose led the National League in hits in a season. ‘65, ‘68, ‘70, ‘72, ‘73, ‘76, & ‘81.

17-All Star games in which Rose appeared in.

5- Different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B, 1B) in which Rose appeared in those 17 All Star Games. Another all time major league record.

44- Consecutive games in which Rose hit safely in 1978, still a National League Record.

3- World Series rings (’75, ‘76, ‘80) and batting titles (’68, ‘69, ‘73) won by Rose.

2- Gold Gloves (’69, ‘70) won by Rose.

1- Rookie of the Year (’63) and World Series Most Valuable Player (’75) Awards won by Rose.

.303- Rose’s career batting average.

Rose was also named Sporting News Player of the Year in 1968, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1975, Sporting News Player of the Decade for the 1970s, and Sporting News Sportsman of the Year in 1985. He was also elected to Baseball’s All Century Team in 1999.

I understand what Rose did was wrong, he has paid his dues, done his time, and apologized for his actions. Think about it this way, there are people convicted of horrific crimes in this county that serve less of a sentence than Pete Rose has. Rose bet on baseball. The only person that died as a result of Pete Rose’s gambling was the man who banned him, Bart Giamatti died on September 1, 1989 at the age of 51, Major League Baseball’s Commissioner for 154 days and just 8 days after permanently banning Pete Rose from baseball for life. I guess it goes to show you that the man upstairs thinks Pete should be in the Hall too.