OTL indicates Rose bet as a player

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Pete Rose has nobody but himself to blame for not being in the Hall of Fame. Enough with the pity party for a compulsive liar with zero self-control.

I understand your opinion (shared by many)...to me Rose has demonstrated all the symptoms of a gambling addiction (recognized by APA in 1980 and included as an addiction in DSM). Gambling addiction, like drug or alcohol addiction is a chronic and debilitating disorder. If Rose suffered from say alcohol addiction, I suspect many would be willing to give him a second chance. Yes, he broke one of the "cardinal rules" of baseball, and he deserved to suffer the consequences but isn't it time to recognize his contributions to the game and end the exile? He played the game right and was one of the greatest players ever...his personality grates on folks and his lack of honesty makes him hard to like, but these are characteristics of many addicts. Baseball is not a "lily-white" organization, it is more than a little hypocritical to pretend otherwise...surely there is room for Rose in the Hall.