Saturday, August 21, 2010

Pete Rose Solutions



The Cincinnati Reds are set to honor Pete Rose at Great American Ball Park September 12, 25 years and a day after he broke Ty Cobb's all-time hit record. Rose is unavailable on September 11, the actual date of the record-setting performance, because of a prior commitment at a Kentucky casino. Sometimes these stories write themselves.

Anyway, former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent, who followed into office Bart Giammati, the man who banned Rose for life in 1989 for betting on baseball, is furious and in an email sent to the New York Post said "I totally disagree with the (Bud) Selig position. Either enforce the Rules or reinstate him."

I've got a solution to this problem: just reinstate Pete Rose and let's all get on with our lives for Todd Benzinger's sake. Who the hell cares anymore? The guy bet on baseball, yes, but Bud Selig made a rule that the winner of the all-star game secures home field advantage for its league in the World Series. Which is the larger crime? Correct: the all-star thing. And if the Reds want to honor one of their all-time greats for breaking a hit record that may stand forever, let them. That's like if Tampa Bay wants to honor Jose Canseco for his ground-rule double in 1999, let them.

No comments:

Post a Comment