As a Mets fan, I can't tell you how much joy I had heckling Rose from the Shea Stadium stands. Just the sight of him running out onto the field made me wince because even when he didn't have a bat in his hand he would find some way to beat you. But if the devil himself came up from his lair and I had to pick a baseball team to save my soul, Pete Rose would be the first guy I pick for my team. With the exception of Ken Griffey, Jr. I can't think of any baseball player I watched live that was that darn good. I don't think 9/10 of the guys voted into the Hall in the past 15 years have the talent to have been Rose's batboy.
However he knowingly broke the biggest sin in baseball. Bet on horses, bet on football, hell, bet on freaking soccer, but you don't bet on baseball!
Do I think Pete threw a game? No - Pete's desire to win meant he couldn't have done that if he tried. But when he bet on Reds games even for the Reds to win, what about the games he didn't lay a bet down on the Reds? He just tipped off every bookie in the country not to take any good odds on the Reds that day. It's as good as him laying a bet against his team.
And Joe Jackson? Sure his stats say he was a Hall of Famer. But he threw a World Series. He took the money to do it. I never bought the angle that he was too dim witted to understand what he was doing or that he had no choice. The only place Joe Jackson should have in the Hall is a display on how he and the other Sox threw the series.
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