The first World Series I saw was 1975 between Cincinnati and Boston. That unforgettable Series began my lifelong love of baseball. I admired Pete Rose for the way he played the game and I felt sports would be a lot more fun if more players emulated his style.
I was disappointed to hear about Rose’s gambling problems, but when he said he didn’t bet on baseball, I was naive enough to believe him–after all, he was Charlie Hustle.
If Pete Rose had admitted 14 years ago that he bet on baseball, apologized and then joined a Gamblers Anonymous group, I would have been more understanding and forgiving. Now that the truth has come out, just in time to sell a book and, hopefully, get him in the Hall of Fame, it is irrelevant to me if Pete Rose gets in the Hall. I see him as a jerk and a liar. That is how I will remember him and that is a shame.
