I grew up in Cincinnati, and I was 11 and 12 years old when the Reds won the World Series in 1975 and 1976. It was a wonderful time. In school, we were shown Pete Rose as an example of how even mundane tasks, like running to an almost sure out at first, can make a difference if you put every effort you have into it, and “hustle.” It changed how many of us looked at even the little things we had to do. For that, plus his stellar body of work in Major League Baseball, he should go into the Hall.
The author makes a great case that Pete is not a nice guy. But that shouldn’t keep him out of the Hall. A lot of people didn’t like Pete, and apparently for good reason. But a lot of people didn’t like Ty Cobb, and he’s in the Hall.
It’s obvious Pete had a gambling problem and that he bet on the Reds, but he never bet against the Reds so he could not be accused of throwing a game. To me, there’s a difference.
Yes, Pete sounds like an asshole who cheated on his wife AND his mistresses, but that is not something that should keep him out of the Hall. I feel the Hall of Fame is about a player’s body of work on the field, and Pete has more than earned it.
For most of the book, the author seemed objective, but I feel that throwing in some unsubstantiated allegations about corking his bats was a low blow, possibly designed to argue against those of us who say that only Pete’s on-field work matters.
In the end, I got the feeling the author doesn’t want Pete in the Hall. I disagree. I originally gave this four stars because it is well-researched, but the author’s bias towards the end has swayed me to change it to three.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
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