“I believe the worst thing you can do as a player is do anything that dickers with the statistics of baseball,” Cobb said. “The statistics of baseball are the most sacred thing in sports. Baseball is all about its history. When you talk about greenies, I’m the wrong guy to talk to. Wouldn’t you like to talk to Tris Speaker about greenies? Wouldn’t you like to talk to Cap Anson about greenies? Honus Wagner won’t talk about it.” He paused a moment, then he smirked. “If anyone gets 4,190 (hits) and is linked to greenies, then I’ll have something to say.”

Oh well.

and

"The statistics of baseball are the most sacred thing in sports."

Ruben Amaro would like a word with you.

“If anyone gets 4,257 (hits) and is linked to steroids, then I’ll have something to say.”

Hmm, had a close relationship with steroid dealers, he lasted unusually long as a player. I'd say that is as much of a linkage as many of the alleged steroid players of a few years have. Actually, much more of a linkage than some.

“What’s the Hall of Fame going to be?” Rose asked incredulously. “Is it going to (have) no hit king, no home run king, no guy with the most Cy Youngs in it? That can’t be good for the game. And that certainly can’t be good for the Hall of Fame. Because believe it or not, the Hall of Fame isn’t a bunch of altar boys.”...

“I believe the worst thing you can do as a player is do anything that dickers with the statistics of baseball,” Rose said. “The statistics of baseball are the most sacred thing in sports. Baseball is all about its history. When you talk about steroids, I’m the wrong guy to talk to. Wouldn’t you like to talk to Roger Maris about steroids? Wouldn’t you like to talk to Babe Ruth about steroids? Hank Aaron won’t talk about it.” He paused a moment, then he smirked. “If anyone gets 4,257 (hits) and is linked to steroids, then I’ll have something to say.”

As long as he can keep coming up with quotes like this, Pete Rose will never need to lunch alone.

Oh FFS..Rose and Clemens and Bonds didn't murder anyone. This lifetime ban thing is ridiculous. Establish a rule about being ineligible for a set amount of time (Rose should be like 20 years and thus eligible now), 30 years for throwing games, 10 for being definitivly linked to steroids. And EMPHASIZE (swidt?)that after that period has pass, the character clause shouldn't be considered. In fact...let's just take the ####### thing out.

There. I just solved `15 years of hand-wringing.

I like the ban of several years idea. I don't care about steroids but I do think "well he has to officially wait 5/10 years before they vote" is better than "he has to unofficially wait until these jokers get over it."

Rose did much worse, but I'd say 25 years (since it's the baseball equivalent of murder, heh).

Who is Pete Rose?

Wouldn’t you like to talk to Babe Ruth about steroids?

Babe Ruth, of course, being known for his respect for rules.

You know, I was just sitting around thinking yesterday, "I wonder what Pete Rose is doing right now."

Y'know, I'd love to see the 'banned or might as well be' crew go around doing charity games to try to rebuild their status.

Rose, Clemens, Bonds, Palmeiro, McGwire and anyone else who is looking to get into the HOF who is blackballed (some guys out of position or playing just regional games or something). There certainly are enough linked to steroids at http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/mitchell-report-players.shtml to form a few 'good will' teams. Raise a few grand for charity here and there, do some nice interviews with local papers and try to do the Andy Pettitte thing (shift media from negative to positive) and you just might see some of them sneak in a bit quicker.

At the very least it would be fun to watch :)

Pete Rose at the fringes of the game he loves

Don't be embarrassed, Pete, you can go to the racetrack instead of the OTB.

McGwire is probably busy.

Let the man talk. If people hadn't continued to solicit the self-serving opinions of a degenerate pariah, we never would have gotten one of the truly great quotes in baseball: "Tell Derek the first 3,000 hits are easy." (BONUS: He was right!)

You know, I was just sitting around thinking yesterday, "I wonder what Pete Rose is doing right now."

Well, courtesy of the agreement he signed, we will always know what he is NOT doing.

do some nice interviews with local papers and try to do the Andy Pettitte thing (shift

You mean, say, "What hGH? Say, did you hear what Roger Clemens did?"

So Pete just said that statistics are more important than winning?

So Pete just said that statistics are more important than winning?

Maybe, but he definitely (bravely and selflessly I might add) advanced the notion that taking steroids are clearly worse than gambling on the game.

“The statistics of baseball are the most sacred thing in sports."

If I had seen this quote online, in a book, or just written on a piece of scrap paper, unattributed, without any context whatsoever, I think it would take me all of two seconds to figure out that Pete Rose had said it.

DB

Hmm, had a close relationship with steroid dealers, he lasted unusually long as a player. I'd say that is as much of a linkage as many of the alleged steroid players of a few years have. Actually, much more of a linkage than some.

This. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I would not be the slightest bit surprised if Pete Rose did steroids at the end of his career, and if someone who played in the '90s or 2000s had one tenth the "evidence of steroid use" that Pete Rose does, they'd be crucified for them.