Being incarcerated and being excluded from consideration for induction into the Hall of Fame are not comparable. As Jules might say to Vincent Vega, it ain't the same f*****' ballpark, it ain't the same league, it ain't even the same f*****' sport.

Beyond that, the convicted inside trader could certainly argue that he was "penalized for life," very much in the same way that Rose has been by baseball. It is extremely unlikely that a convicted insider trader is going to become employed in the financial services industry where his expertise would lie.

And, in my opinion, that would be just.

No way Pete
 

Hi guys, happy new year and all that. I like this thread because it makes me remember why I love baseball so much. Pete Rose does not belong in the HOF because he has made a joke of the game. While playing he bet on the game. While managing he bet on the game. No one knows if he did anything to affect the outcome of games but he lied about it. Like a child he couldn't admit it, take his lumps and get on with it. He is penalized for being dumb and arrogant. No one is above the rules. I have a good friend that spent a long time in the Army. He was a good soldier and did his duty in the first Iraq war. But he messed up and got into a fight while on leave. He put a guy in the hospital and was sued for using fighting techniques learned as a soldier. He was discharged for conduct unbecoming of an officer and lost the only job he ever cared about. The Army needs soldiers now and he can't reenlist. He had commendations and his friends say he was an unbelievable leader. He was careless and made a mistake and has to live with the fact that he can't get a decent job. Pete made a choice to be selfish. The HOF is about honor not accomplishment. He was a great ball player who made some bad decisions on the field and off.

I Did Not Gamble on Baseball
 

Ranks right up there with "I did not have sex with that woman."

Mr. Pete Rose had a problem and baseball noticed. Pete blamed everybody around him. He blamed shoeless Joe, he blamed his business associates, he blamed his bookie, he blamed the FEDS, he blamed the IRS agents, he blamed the phone company, he blamed the lawyers, and he blamed the JUDGE. The COMISH did him a real favor before he fell victim to his own disease. It was really sad to see a man fall so far.

Mr. Rose was banned because he could not accept the treatment. Unless he stops gambling, he may still lose more than he has already. I think the COMISH really wanted to help Pete realize his problem before it was too late. Many former MLB players have been told to go away quietly and live happily ever after. Pete is one of those baseball junkies who refused to accept a good offer.

Let's not forget the release date of his next book. I wager it will be about how much he hustles during the HOF selection process.

Sure you can. There are plenty of dolts playing professional sports at quite a very high level. I don't equate intelligence with hitting a baseball. Sorry, I just don't.

Should he be in the Hall? I don't know. Is he stupid? Oh yeah. I was listening to him go on and on about Cooperstown on the radio a couple of nights ago. The guy's just a pantload.

I was in Cooperstown a couple of years ago, and Pete was in store selling his autograph. RIGHT IN COOPERSTOWN. I listened to his bellyaching for few minutes, and then had to take a shower. Yuk.