Some phone calls start with “Are you sitting down?” They are the type of calls you never want to receive, whether it’s a death in the family, a tragedy, a divorce, or a number of things. In the case of Pete Rose, 35 years ago, the news was that Major League Baseball was banning him from ever receiving Hall of Fame honors. Two years prior, the Cincinnati Reds legend was banned completely from baseball, becoming blacklisted when it came to America’s Pastime. Today, we look back at one of the game’s greatest players and the controversy surrounding him.
Rose’s Playing and Managerial Career
When you think of baseball in the 1970s, there is one team most fans turn to, and that is the “Big Red Machine.” No, we’re not talking about The Undertaker’s brother Kane (though we may mention him later for other reasons), we are talking about the Cincinnati Reds. A team led by legends of the game like Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Ken Griffey Sr., Rollie Fingers, and, of course, “Charlie Hustle” himself, Pete Rose.
Mr. Hustle was a 17-time All-Star, 3-time World Series Champion, and the all-time leader in hits with 4,256. Three batting titles, two gold gloves, one MVP, one World Series MVP, one Rookie of the Year, and a partridge in a pear tree, or something like that. Wraps up one of the greatest playing careers of all time.
Rose would go from player to skipper when he rejoined the Reds organization in 1984. In his tenure, he would reach four consecutive second-place finishes in the division. An overall record of 426-388 between ’84 and ’89, ranking fifth all-time in franchise history.
MLB Voids Rose for His Betting Slips
In 1989, after a thorough investigation, Major League Baseball issued a lifetime ban to the all-time hits leader. The evidence showed that Rose actively bet on games that he managed. Though he initially denied the accusations, he would eventually admit his involvement in his 2004 book, My Prison Without Bars.
“Charlie Hustle” got a whole new meaning when he was caught in the sports betting scandal. The evidence proved he bet on a dozen Reds games in 1987. When the truth came out, he admitted that he would only take the team to win, never betting against his own squad.
Commissioner Bart Giamatti’s ban on the legend would be lifted by current MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in 2025. Unfortunately for Rose, it was truly a lifetime ban since he passed away in 2024 from cardiovascular disease.
Final Thoughts
This is an interesting story. A guy, not a guy, a legend, who has what looks like an untouchable record in sports, may never reach the Hall of Fame. Pete Rose served his life sentence: being banned from baseball immortality. The story becomes more ironic as time goes on. Being banned for something that is literally advertised every thirty seconds during commercial breaks. Being banned for something that broadcasters give us live updates on and live spreads.
Sports betting has taken over the world, and it’s the latest trend of addiction. We have witnessed athletes getting caught doing the same act and being suspended for a couple of games, not a lifetime. The major sports leagues preach integrity when it comes to gambling, yet they are ok with advertising it so much that ten-year-old kids are no longer rooting for their team but asking about the over/under on a player prop.
In hindsight, this ban seemed very extreme compared to the consequences of today. Although Pete Rose never experienced entering the MLB Hall of Fame, he did receive the honor of joining the WWE Hall of Fame after a couple of Tombstones from the “Devil’s favorite demon,” Kane. See, I knew we would mention it later! Major League Baseball should make this right by putting its all-time hits leader into Cooperstown.
