Pete Rose’s hubris killed Pete Rose’s path to redemption. If he simply adhered and disclosed his transgressions, he likely would not have had a lifetime ban, or at least it would have been lifted. But he didn’t for years, and only moved on it when he believed it would benefit him to do it. He regretted being caught more than actually doing it.
Now, none of this is to mean that those who are/were fans of his aren’t allowed to feel bad that he has passed on.
“How do you tell the story of baseball without Pete Rose?”
I can do it quite quickly.
Everyone acknowledges he was a significant part of two franchises at the peak of their existences, setting a number of records, went to a shit ton of All-Star Games, providing a number of memorable moments, owning a very distinct and endearing style of play, over a very long period of time. All of which is overshadowed by later actions, forgiven only by some, others not for very specific reasons, and was ultimately his own worst enemy, for doing something that, even if changing times should make it able to look past some of it, was unforgivable at the time he did it and failed to show any contrition unless it served himself (which doesn’t really qualify as contrition), and his hubris didn’t seem to allow him to understand the weight of that to the point that he did not get to live to see it resolved and had to be litigated again upon his passing.
Feel like that covers the short version.
I’ve been hearing about the story of baseball my entire life. Pete Rose is not not part of it because he’s not in the Hall of Fame. In fact, it’s one of the more significant stories in baseball history, it’s so big that it’s impossible not to. He’s just the only one who isn’t in it despite a playing record that otherwise would. It’s actually a very specific part of the story.
