OT: Shoeless Joe HOF decision?

[bbsports]

About 15 years ago I met Bob Feller at a card show in Florida. He told me it takes more than stats to be in the baseball Hall of Fame. You must be a member in good standing to the game as part of the qualifications. As great a baseball player as Rose & Jackson were, they were not members of baseball in good standing & therefore they should be banned forever of entering the baseball Hall of Fame.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Given how fiercely competitive he was, I doubt he bet against his own team.

So what? Not betting on his team to win is essentially the same as a bet against.

Fact is, he bet as a player and as a manager. As a manager,he had the power to influence multiple games through his actions in one. Blow out the bullpen to win a bet and sacrifice the rest of a series, for example.

The idea that there's some "loophole" for Pete if he didn't specifically bet to lose just baffles me. It's not like there's a gray area in the rule he knew and broke anyway.

[packs]

There is not a compulsive gambler on the planet who wouldn't play the bet that most favored them. It is crazy to me to think that Pete Rose, who admits to betting on his own team, didn't bet against his team when the odds favored the bet.