Pete Rose*
In his nationally televised interview last Thursday night; I wanted to hear him say, "I made a mistake." I wanted to hear him say, "I was wrong for lying to baseball fans for 14 years." And most importantly, I needed to hear Rose say, "I am sorry." Instead, I mostly heard the Major League all-time hits leader reply to Gibson's questioning with statements like, "I didn't think I would get caught," or "I just never had the opportunity to tell anybody that was going to help me"
Furthermore, it became ultimately clear that Rose, who has been clinically diagnosed with a significant gambling disorder, still goes to horse races to gamble. This is not a person concerned with getting well. This is someone whose motivation appears to be a burning desire to receive what he believes is his just due, a return to professional baseball and induction into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown.
Perhaps the statement that finalized my opinion on whether Rose should be in the Hall of Fame came in his appearance on "Good Morning America", Friday morning. When asked whether he owes an apology to baseball investigator John Dowd, who uncovered an abundance of evidence to corroborate his betting on baseball, Rose stated almost defiantly, "I don't think it was fair, the way he came to his conclusions. The end result -- he was right. But I just didn't like the way he went about it." This is akin to saying, "Even though I robbed that bank and the police found all the missing money in the car while I was sitting in it, I didn't like the way they presented the information at my trial."
Further troubling is the timing and forum that Rose selected to "cleanse" himself in the eyes of the public. With his consent, the book was released in the same week that the Baseball Hall of Fame traditionally releases the name's of its' new inductees, in this case, Paul Molitor and Dennis Eckersley. This is not a coincidence. Also, rather than writing a book whose proceeds (or at least a portion) are donated to a charity such as Gambler's Anonymous, early indications are that Rose will be reaping the full rewards of this tome.
Former Cincinnati Reds teammate Joe Morgan, a Hall of Famer himself, said it best in the recent aftermath of Rose's nightmarish media blitz. Writing on ESPN's web site, Morgan said, "Rather than holding a press conference, standing up and apologizing for what he has done, Rose has written a book that he will profit from. Writing a book is the easy way out -- plus you profit (financially) from it."
My exposure to Pete Rose, while quite limited at best, paints a rather telling portrait of a man who has consistently failed to demonstrate any act of contrition throughout his 14 years in baseball purgatory. Assigned to cover the 1995 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies honoring Mike Schmidt (a former Rose teammate in Philadelphia) and Richie Ashburn, I was walking through the streets of Cooperstown about 30 minutes prior to the ceremony, seeking man on the street interviews regarding Schmidt's impending induction. I soon came across a line emerging from a gift shop that appeared to be about 200 people deep. Displayed prominently above the door to the shop was a sign trumpeting, "Pete Rose, Signatures $25.00". I glanced quickly at my watch, discovering there was little chance Charlie Hustle could possibly breeze through this rather large throng of people in the limited time remaining before the ceremonies began. Out of curiosity I poked my head in the door and saw Rose seated at a table, putting his signature on anything and everything that was placed before him. I shrugged my shoulders and continued on my way for the sight of baseball legends signing autographs at Hall of Fame weekend is commonplace. It was later, as Schmidt was giving his induction speech that it hit me. I thought to myself, "How rude of Pete Rose. I understand that he is not allowed at any event sanctioned by baseball, but to be signing autographs in the literal shadows of his former teammate and friend's big moment, is not only rude but seriously lacks any shred of respect he has for Schmidt or baseball."
Unfortunately, this illustrates who Pete Rose is. He is a man lacking remorse but more importantly he lacks respect for a game that has defined who he is.
Despite his personal foibles, most Americans want to forgive Rose and allow him back into professional baseball as well as make him eligible for the Hall of Fame. In an ABC News/ESPN poll conducted December 17-21, 56 percent of those surveyed believed Rose should be reinstated if he admitted to gambling on baseball. Surprisingly, that figure climbed to 64 percent among people who called themselves baseball fans.
I will forgive Pete Rose for what he has done. My forgiveness will be for not only his betting on the very team he managed, but also that he lied to the American public for 14 years. For my part, I do not want to harbor such anger and resentment toward a man I do not even know. For that I would like him to forgive me.
What I would like Mr. Rose to understand, however, is that forgiveness includes four components; confession (saying I am wrong), experiencing sorrow for his shortcomings (saying I am sorry), repenting to those he has betrayed (saying I don't want to hurt you again), and finally, making a request (asking people to forgive him).* Based on his recently televised interviews we know that he has made a confession. My prayer is that he will now take the remaining three steps of forgiveness so that we might know he is contrite.
In
, Paul writes in his letter to the faithful people of Ephesus, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."It is very difficult, often painful, to admit personal wrongdoing or stubbornness. So painful that we justify our position and put up a barrier to avoid being hurt. This is quite evident with Pete Rose. While it is incredibly simple to say "I am sorry", it is a much more difficult thing to do. It is important to remember, however, that the liberated feelings of celebration that ensue when you do ask for forgiveness virtually erases any memories of discord or failed harmony.*
If I could give Mr. Rose any advice it would be that from this point forward it is critical to avoid and to seek help for what is obviously a weak area in his life (gambling), and to be completely honest and forthright in all matters.
In
it says, "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to another."To live with the impression that nothing is wrong unless you get caught is nothing short of a tragedy. This mindset is used to compromise the truth. While 21st century standards for truth may differ from what is set forth in scripture, it is important to remember that God demands that we think truly, live truly, speak truly, and that we avoid any appearance of dishonesty. God's love for us should motivate us to obey Him, and His love in us makes obedience possible.*
Regarding the ultimate fate of Pete Rose, I believe it would be in the best interests of baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to wait for a public profession of forgiveness, not admission mind you, but forgiveness. If and when this occurs, it would be quite appropriate for Mr. Selig to place Rose on some sort of probation designed to rebuild trust. To do so, I would recommend a two to three year window of time for him to demonstrate that he is no longer involved in any sort of activity that would devalue the integrity of baseball, i.e. any sort of gambling. Assuming Rose completes this probationary period without incident, he should be reinstated. Unfortunately, he would now be beyond the 15-year eligibility period to be voted into the Hall of Fame by traditional means. Consideration for such an honor would now be transferred to the Veteran's Committee, a group of former players. If this group of peers believe he is a worthy candidate then he should be elected. Should he be elected, I believe it would be appropriate for his plaque to contain an asterisk that denotes he was banned from the game for betting on it. If the committee decides that he should not be in the Hall, Rose must now accept his fate.
As for working in professional baseball again, I have great difficulty in allowing his return to what I believe is America's greatest game. I have changed my position on this issue several times in recent days. However, I base my answer on a passage of scripture found in I Peter. Chapter three, verses eight and nine state, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."
Food for thought.
*Material from The Transformer, study Bible and Communication, by Dr. Gary and Barbara Rosberg used in this article.
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