Gambling And Pete Rose Essay Research Paper

Consider a student who passes a final exam under the influence of illegal drugs.

The professor might be inclined to call the police, but there?s no reason why

the student shouldn?t get the grade he earned. Then consider another student

who cheats on the same exam. No crime has been committed, but as a student

that?s the worst possible behavior, and deserves the harshest penalty.

 Gambling is the worst thing a ballplayer can do, because it undermines

the integrity of the game. Pete Rose did the worst thing a ballplayer could do

by not only gambling on games in the NBA the NFL and college sports, but also

baseball games. Peter Edwards Rose was investigated by Major League Baseball and

a hearing was scheduled for May of 1989. The scheduled hearing never took place

and yet Pete Rose was suspended from baseball and placed on the ineligibility

list. Pete could apply for re-instatement after one year. But less than one year

later the Baseball Hall of Fame added a clause to it?s eligibility rules

stating that players who were on Baseball?s ineligibility list could not be

considered as candidates. Commissioner Bud Selig said that the application would

be considered at an appropriate time. In 1997 Pete Rose applied for

re-instatement nearly eight years after he was first eligible to do so. He was

turned down  The question I raise is should Peter Edwards Rose be

inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for his outstanding play on the baseball

field, or be denied it because of a gambling addiction. In my opinion Pete Rose

should be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and also be re-instated into Major

League Baseball. Yes Rose did commit a baseball crime and reluctantly admitted

to it but as compared to some of the people in the Hall of Fame and in baseball

Rose is no different. Guys who take drugs or beat their wives don?t get such

harsh punishment and many of them are still in the Hall of Fame and baseball.

 In today?s world gambling is considered an addiction. If this is the

case then why not allowing Pete Rose to be re-instated into baseball if he

agreed to have counseling on the issue. President Clinton committed acts that

almost got him impeached but the country forgave him and he is still the

President of the United States, and yet after ten years Pete Rose has not yet

been re-instated to baseball or even allowed to participate in official events.

 In a poll recently conducted on Ivotefor.com 75% or 198 of the 263

people polled said that Pete Rose should be re-instated, while a mere 25% or 65

said that Pete Rose should remain out of baseball. The Hall of Fame is as much

for the fans as it is for the players. Then why isn?t one of the most liked

sports figures allowed to continue his baseball career and be inducted into the

Hall of Fame.  Rose recently took another step closer to being

re-instated. He has backed an Official Pete Rose Online Petition set up at

www.sportcut.com. The petition will be sent on January 31, 2000 to the Baseball

Hall of Fame with all signatures. I urge you to vote for Pete Rose online to

better his chances.  In 1999 Pete Rose was elected to the all century

team.