OPINION:
This longtime baseball lover and Pittsburgh Pirates season ticket holder is saddened that the great Pete Rose died a broken man, denied what he most wanted in the latter part of his life: entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame (“Only Rose himself prevented the all-time hits leader’s Hall of Fame induction,” web, Oct. 1).
Mr. Rose earned condemnation from Major League Baseball and a number of its commissioners for not only betting on the sport, but initially lying about it.
Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth were known to be individuals of poor character. Countless players tarnished the game by cheating — using steroids to boost their performance. Others enhanced their team’s chances by engaging in prohibited activity that enabled them to steal their opponents’ signs. None of this behavior denied these athletes the ability to be voted into the hall.
Major League Baseball has an incomprehensible double standard that has denied the man who is arguably the greatest the sport has ever seen.
OREN SPIEGLER
Peters Township, Pennsylvania
Please read our comment policy before commenting.