Quote:
Originally Posted by Hurkman
My opinion on this sways back and forth from time to time. I'm willing to listen to arguments now about why he should be in, but in my mind, I'm not convinced.
Was he a great player? Yes. Should he be in based on the merits of his playing career? Hell yes. However, As far as everything says, he bet on baseball, and that is subject to a lifetime ban if you are caught. It doesn't say you are banned if you are racist, or beat your spouse, or anything along those lines. However, if you bet on the game, and are caught, you are banned. Pete was banned for betting, and at least through the laws of baseball, is banned for life.
After he dies, could he be inducted? Maybe, but in my mind, I need to see Joe Jackson inducted before Rose gets in. I mean, Jackson was found innocent by a jury when it came to throwing the 1919 series, and if he did throw it, he did a pretty bad job at doing it. I don't know if he had contact with gamblers about it, but batting around .375 in the World Series is certainly not trying to throw it. If Jackson somehow, someway finds a way in, I'm all in favor of Pete Rose getting in. Until then, he can be the guy that got embarassed at three straight Wrestlemanias for all I care.
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Yeah, I do have to agree with you on Jackson. .375 isnt exactly throwing the series. Weaver for that matter hit over .300. Still, I dont want to touch this 90-year old subject on whether he belongs in or not.
The reason why you dont bet on the game period is this. If you bet on your team and lose, and lose and lose. You are going to get deep in. You might get desparate. Then you might bet against them to save your @$$. AS a manager you can then intentionally make some bad decisions to manipulate that outcome.
If you go out to shoot your worst enemy and some innocent kid gets killed in the crossfire. You dont deserve to have a reduced sentence because you didnt mean to kill them. You went to kill. (Maybe not exactly a great reference to compare, but this is how it looks to me, more or less)