Pete Rose Continues to be Out of Step with Major League Baseball [commentary]

BreakingModern — In case you didn’t know, Pete Rose, professional baseball’s all-time hit king, has been in the MLB doghouse since 1989 when it was revealed that he gambled on baseball games — including his own team. Although he’s been retired for 30 years, his contentious relationship with MLB bars him from being inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

pete rose

Ever since he left the game, Rose has been hell-bent on trying to polish his tarnished reputation, even taking lie tests to “prove” that he never bet on baseball. However, a report from ESPN details an extensive history of such gambling.

A Little “Light-Headed”

So naturally (sarcasm alert!), everyone was shocked when the man so well-known for his good judgment questioned Toronto Blue Jays’ star Josh Donaldson’s toughness after he left the game for concussion testing. Donaldson slid hard into second base and rammed his head into the shortstop’s head, but Rose thought he should have toughed it out. Here’s the quote:

“I mean, you get a tweak and you got to leave the game. You take a knee to the head, and you’ve got a helmet on, and you gotta leave the game to go take a test that you pass. I mean, because you’re a little light-headed?”

Evidently, Rose doesn’t buy into the idea that concussions are serious brain trauma that can cause long-term damage. Granted, he is of another generation, but he is not making many amends with MLB’s front office by criticizing its concussion policies. Even if he does believe such things, he should keep mum about them for now.

Charlie Hustle Supports Chase Utley

And just a couple of days later, Dodgers’ second baseman Chase Utley pulled a dirty “Charlie Hustle” play to take out Mets’ shortstop Ruben Tejada. It was a cheap shot and Utley was suspended for games three and four of the National League Division Series. In case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s the controversial slide:

Video: Chase Utley Breaks Ruben Tejedas Leg

So of course, Rose couldn’t resist supporting Utley. From Newsday:

“It’s the kind of deal where if you’re Utley’s teammates, you give him a high-five. And if you’re the Mets, you’re mad and you can’t wait to get even with him somehow.”

Hey, give Rose credit. He was right that the Mets should be mad, after all. But no team should celebrate such a terrible injury or the cheap, illegal slide that caused it, regardless of how much it helped your team.

pete rose

Rose needs to keep his mouth shut, especially in this era where player safety is paramount. Major League Baseball is changing – it wants to protect players like Donaldson and Tejada. Unfortunately, Rose wants to keep baseball stuck in the ’70s when his knucklehead brand of play was often celebrated.

Regardless of what he really thinks, Rose must stop pushing back if he ever wants to have a legitimate shot at reinstatement and regaining the respect of the baseball community. This alone won’t give him a place in the hall of fame, but it’s a step toward rehabilitating his image. Without question, he was one of the greatest players of all time. And now he needs to start acting like it.

For BMod, I’m .

Featured Screenshot Credit: BMod Staff

Image Credit: Pete Rose. Wikimedia Commons

Image Credit: Pete Rose. Wikimedia Commons

Ben Leonard

Author: Ben Leonard

Based in San Francisco, Ben Leonard covers sports for BreakingModern. Follow him on Twitter @ben___leonard

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