Former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose poses near his statue outside of Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati is still serving a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball (file photo from WLWT 700 News Radio Cincinnati)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

“T’was the night before Christmas when all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse, the stockings were hung by the chimney with care all the new Hall of Fame names were read with a flair, but the name of Pete Rose still was not there” -APG.2020.

The list for the 2021 first time nominees for Cooperstown is out, including those that felt short in previous years. They are still on the ballot and some like Roger Clements and Barry Bonds will probably not be elected this year. They might have to wait a few more years. But, what about Pete?

This is the time of the year for that perennial question. Why is Pete Rose not in the Hall of Fame as a player. No player alive or still playing is remotely close to Pete Rose record of 4,256 hits. The closest one, who still active is LA Angels Albert Pujols with 3,236 hits. Also active, Miguel Cabrera 2,866, Robinson Canó 2,624 ( who also was suspended for the 2021 season for PEDs), Nick Markakis 2,388 then Yadier Molina with 2,001. All of these active players are veterans towards the end of their careers; they have really no chance of getting remotely close to Pete Rose.

Gambling is the cardinal sin of baseball, and that is why Pete Rose is not in the Hall of Fame. In 1989 Major League Baseball punished Pete Rose, manager of the Cincinnati Reds for betting on baseball.

Rose accepted a settlement than includes a lifetime ban from the game. But every year when the names of the new class of Hall of Fame players that are nominated comes out, everybody debates if he should be given the chance of induction into the Hall of Fame.

Rose recently admitted to Jim Gray that he still bets on baseball. This confession is part of Jim Gray’s “Talking to Goats” FOX News special and book. As a civilian he can bet on baseball, it is legal, just visit any Casino in the United States and you probably can place a bet, or on the internet as well.

We are a betting nation. Draft Kings is a very popular Daily Fantasy Sports for Cash in baseball, the Superbowl is approaching and after March Madness tournament in Basketball. The Superbowl is the highest sports event in amount of bets. During the summer, baseball (usually 162-game schedule) allows more opportunities to bet each day.

We are also a forgiving nation. With the advances of science, i.e. DNA, people that were wrongly convicted of murder and have been serving for decades a life sentence, have been released after DNA showed that they were wrongly convicted.

Many countries around the world, if you are convicted of murder, you are executed very soon after your sentence. O.J Simpson is a free man, after his controversial ‘not guilty’ verdict, but we all know he got away with murder, he had to hire the best attorneys in the world to save his life, so there went most of what money OJ had.

Question for everybody: What is worst, Pete Rose betting on baseball or the Houston Astros cheating and winning the 2017 World Series?

Pete Rose is not going to manage or play again. To me it looks ridiculous the fact he is not in the Hall of Fame where he belongs. If we are going to be consistent with the world we are living today (this is not 1919 and the Black Sox scandal) I hope we can see Pete Rose soon, (not after he is dead) in Cooperstown. That is my opinion, you might disagree and I respect your opinion.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s lead Spanish play by play announcer on the A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com