Pete Rose: If Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame What about Curt Flood?

Pete Rose was honored by the Cincinnati Reds marking the 25-year anniversary of him becoming the all-time leader in hits.  It as nice to see him honored for what he did on the field and not badgered for what he did off it.

Let’s get right to the point: Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. Somebody got those hits.4256 hits and helped lead the Big Red Machine to 3 World Series titles.

We all know Rose bet on baseball.  He finally came clean in 2004 after 15 years of lying.  We all know he’s banned from baseball and won’t be voted into the Hall of Fame as it stands.

Roger Clemens, like Rose was, is in the initial stages of thinking he’s above the law.  The legal system in society is far different from that in professional sports.  The Rocket will soon find out.

Rose wasn’t a Hall of Fame manager but he was a Hall of Fame player.  Roger Clemens won’t get into the Hall of Fame anytime soon.  Clemens defiantly denied ever taking steroids despite alleged evidence and testimony (Andy Petite) that suggests he did. 

If Clemens is smart he’ll cut a deal, call a press conference and wait 20-years then get in.  Or better yet he can pull a Mark McGwire.  He can play low for five years, get a job as a pitching coach and ease his way back into the graces of baseball.

Rose shamed himself, the game of baseball and his family by gambling then lying about it.  But this week the fans showed Rose a lot of love and so should the Hall of Fame.

Let’s put this into perspective.  Paul Hornung bet on games while he was a Green Bay Packer.  In 1963 he served a year suspension levied by Commissioner Pete Rozelle.  Hornung kept his nose clean and was reinstated in 1964.  Hornung ended his career in 1966 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985. His career serves as a precedent where a great player made a mistake and was allowed entry into the Hall of Fame.

Rose has gotten the support from some of the giants of the game.  Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, and Joe Morgan have all publicly stated Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. 

I totally concur.

Know one has more respect for the latter athletes than I.  They did more than play baseball: They endured bitter cruelties resulting from the ugliness of racism in society and American sports. 

That being said, how can Aaron, Robinson and Morgan speak out on Rose’s behalf for what he did to shame the game while saying nothing about getting Curt Flood into the Hall of Fame for making the game better?

Like Rose, Flood started his career with the Cincinnati Redlegs later to be the Reds.  As a player Flood was one of the better center fielders in baseball while roaming the outfield for the St. Louis Cardinals.  Flood was the catalyst of two World Series teams in 1964 and in 1967.

Flood was composing a Hall of Fame career until he decided he didn’t want to be treated like a slave.  The Cardinals decided to trade Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies after the 1969 season but he didn’t go.  Flood felt he should have a say in any decision about his playing future therefore he never reported to the Phillies. 

Flood challenged the long standing “reserve clause” in baseball.  It essentially meant players were the property of the owners.  If owners opted to trade a player they had not say in where they could play and how much they would be paid.

Even though Flood was making approximately $100,000 dollars per season he still felt like a slave.  The late Howard Cossell questioned Flood on being treated like a slave. In an interview Cossell suggested Flood wasn’t earning “slave wages.” 

Flood responded, “A well-paid slave is nonetheless a slave.”

Flood sued Major League Baseball.  His case went all the way to the Supreme Court where he lost on 5-3 vote. 

Flood put his career on the line for all players.  His case opened the flood gates for the likes of Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally to be the first benefit from what we commonly call free-agency in 1975. 

FOX baseball analyst Tim McCarver was a teammate of Flood with the Cardinals.  McCarver was one of the players involved in the trade that was to send Flood to the Phillies.  I spoke with McCarver about at the 2008 World Series about Flood.  McCarver stated, “Without question Curt Flood belongs in the Hall of Fame. He was great baseball player, a great man and he was my friend.”

Flood sacrificed his career for the betterment of the game of baseball while Rose indulged in selfish behavior by betting on baseball.

Flood stood up against the antiquated system of Major League Baseball and tried to correct a long-standing wrong.  Rose used his individual celebrity to gamble and live a lie that brought shame to the game.

Aaron, Robinson and Morgan utilized their platforms to suggest Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame: Why won’t they use those same platforms to get Flood inducted? 

Why won’t these great players use their influence to induce a movement to get the person that allowed players to have rights his just due?

Jackie Robinson is arguably the most influential athlete in the history of American sport.  His efforts opened the doors for African-American to play baseball while Flood helped ensure all players can be paid accordingly.

Again, I believe Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame for being a great player even though he brought shame to himself as a manager.  Without question Flood belongs in the Hall of Fame as a player and for helping to install a system that allows players to have rights.

Agree or disagree?

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