The title of this post says it all: ‘Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?’  I think he should.  And here’s why:

Peter Rose holds several Major League Baseball (M.L.B.) records, including most hits at 4,256, at bats with 14,053, outs with 10,328, and games played at 3,562.  He also played on three World Series teams.  He also won many individual awards, including three batting titles, two Gold Gloves, Rookie of the Year award (1963), a Silver Slugger award, Hutch Award, a Roberto Clemente Award, and an M.V.P. award.

He also hold several other records:

• He is the only player in M.L.B. history to play at least 500 games at five different positions.  He played 939 games at first base, 671 games in left field, 634 at third base, 628 at second base, and 595 at right field.
• His 3,215 singles are the most singles by any player.
• As of 2012, only Peter Rose and Ichiro Suzuki have hit 200 or more hits in 10 different seasons.
• He had at least 100 hits in 23 seasons.
• He had 13 straight seasons with at least 600 at-bats, and had at least 600 at-bats in 17 different seasons.
• He played in 1,972 winning games, more than any other player.
• He also leads switch hitters in three categories: career runs (2,165), doubles (746), walks (1566), and total bases (5,752).

He also holds a number of National League (N.L.) records:

• He holds the record of most consecutive games with a hit at 44.
• Most games with at least five hits – 10 times.
• Most career doubles with 746.
• He has 2,165 career runs.
• Most years played, and most consecutive years played at 24.

He also appeared in 17 All Star games, playing at five different positions – first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field.  This included a run of five straight appearances (1967-1971), and 10 straight from 1973-1982.  He is also a member of the M.L.B. All Century team.

His career batting average is .303, he hit 160 homeruns and drove in 1,314 runs over his career which began with the Cincinnati Reds (1963-1978), Philadelphia Phillies (1979-1983), Montreal Expos (1984), and ending his career in Cincinnati again (1984-1986.)  He would also serve as the Cincinnati Reds’ Manager from 1984-1989.

While he would accept being permanently ineligible to be involved with baseball in 1989 because of gambling, including admitting his involvement in gambling in 2004, he admitted that he never bet against the Reds – the team he was playing for, and managing, when he gambled.  However, he should be reinstated, or have an exception made, so that he can take his rightful position in the the Hall of Fame.

How can a player who holds multiple M.L.B. records, plus won so many awards, not be allowed into the Hall of Fame?  And not only has he finally admitted to his mistake, he also admitted that he never bet against his own team – which is the whole reason why baseball banned players who gambled originally.  But, it should be obvious based on Pete Rose’s stats that he would not likely have bet against the team he was playing for.  So, I hope that he is allowed to be elected to the Hall of Fame in the future.