Journal 5

Michael Arnott

Exploratory Journal #5

            In his article “Betting on Pete Rose,” Colman McCarthy believes that if Pete Rose really had the love for the game that he claims he does, he should have done something with his fourteen years (at the time of the article) that did not have to do with MLB.  He points out that there are many other leagues, so far down as Little League that he could have participated in if he had the passion he talked about.  McCarthy reminds the reader that Rose still lied for fifteen years before admitting he was wrong, which he did half-heartedly.

            In my previous source, Morrow reports that Rose would like to be involved in the sport again at a professional level but Bud Selig, the commissioner, does not want to shift his stance on the ban.  McCarthy counters this by bringing up that Rose could have helped teams in other leagues such as the Independent Baseball League, Little League, as well as many leagues in other countries.  I think that it is a combination of the two.  Rose wanted to be involved in baseball activities but not just anywhere; he wanted to be involved in professional baseball, the game he came to know and love.  MLB baseball has a much different feel than, say, Independent League Baseball.  The crowds are bigger, the money is bigger (which would make sense for a man like Rose), and the environment is more electric.  Morrow also reports that Rose is just looking for a second chance making it seem as if he is apologetic and ready to turn over a new leaf.  But McCarthy reports that he was simply “sorry that it happened” without wanting to give a long apology for his actions.  Kennedy also paints Pete Rose as an honest man but McCarthy reminds us that he lied about gambling for fifteen years before admitting it, as well as going to jail for tax evasion.

            This source challenged most of the opinions I have been reading.  McCarthy gives the hard facts that Rose broke the rules, lied about it, and did not really do anything except for fight it until finally admitting he broke the rules.  He excludes everything about him as a ballplayer and only looks at the infractions against him.  In one of my previous journals, I brought up a first step to obtaining eligibility would be to reinstate Rose into professional baseball again.  But McCarthy brings up a valid point: Pete Rose could have gone into any of the other leagues if his love of the sport was really that great.  While I agree with this, I have one reserve about it.  Rose may have loved the sport but after twenty-six years of professional baseball, he grew accustomed to a certain style of playing: big crowds, big games, and big fame.  While that may be the case, I think maybe Rose should make the first step in redemption beyond an apology.  He can show Bud Selig and the rest of baseball that he has a love for the game by dedicating his time in other leagues and working his way up to gain the respect and forgiveness from the MLB.  The only problem I think would be the timeframe.  Rose is not getting any younger and his years are waning.  He may not have time to work his way up through the ranks, though he could have with all of his time out of the game.  At the same time, Rose is a veteran of professional baseball.  There is a lot more than just playing a game to deal with and he knows it more than anyone.  He could help young players adjust to the Major League level as well as fundamentally and mentally playing the game.  Rose is also quoted in this article as saying, “Baseball had no fancy rehab for gamblers like they do for drug addicts.” I brought up in a previous journal that if Rose had an addiction to gambling, he had a mental disease that needed to be treated not punished.  I stand by this claim.  If the MLB wanted to have solved the gambling problem, they could have found help for Pete Rose instead of punishing him and brushing the problem off to the side.  Granted, information about gambling addiction was not as advanced as we have it today so they may not have seen it as a legitimate addiction, but rather as an act of hubris.  But with all the information that is readily available about addiction, I think Rose’s case should be reconsidered.

            Heading into my final exploratory journal, some questions I want to answer are what was the knowledge of gambling addiction back in Rose’s era?  How do drug and gambling addictions compare?  Has Pete done any work in other baseball leagues since this article was written?