Reply #23: Oh, I disagree passionately there. [View All]

[jobycom]

A player on steroids is at least still trying to win. It's still a game whose outcome is undecided. A gambler fixing a game means there is no sport. It's just a play with a pre-determined outcome, like elections in Florida.

Rose knew the rule. It wasn't some obscure rule, it was the most sacred lore of the game, posted prominently in every clubhouse. It was the last thing you say before taking the field, and the first thing you saw when you came back.

Rose does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. His numbers and records are, but he as a person should never, ever be allowed in without a ticket, and frankly I'd consider not allowing him in then, either.

That's the difference between Giamatti and Selig. Giamatti could make tough, even unpopular decisions for the good of the game alone, whereas Selig can't make any decision, and just allows the game to collapse around him.

If they want to keep everyone on steroids out of the Hall, make that decision, post it in the clubhouses, and stick to it. But someone else's sins don't exonerate Rose's.