Faye Vincent's view of Pete Rose hasn't changed even after learning the news that MLB's hitting king passed away on Monday at the age of 83.
Mr. Vincent, 86, served as deputy commissioner and played a key role in negotiating a settlement with Mr. Rose, who voluntarily accepted a lifetime suspension for gambling on baseball while managing the Reds.
Although the controversy overshadowed Rose's impressive career on the field, Vincent seemed to hold firm to his view of himself as one of baseball's greats.
“I think he was dedicated to baseball in the sense of the game, and his effort was certainly intense. He had a series of issues with his standards of conduct,” Vincent said. said in an interview with The Athletic. “He made some mistakes along the way, but by the time I got to know him and Bart and I dealt with him on a gambling issue, it was really too late. I mean, he had formed his own attitude and personality. I think he really thought money was very important. He bet a lot and lost a lot.I think the corruption problem in his life was serious.
Vincent, who ultimately served as commissioner from 1989 to 1992, learned of Rose's death on Monday when he was contacted by a reporter for The Athletic.
Rose's accomplishments on the field are undeniable, as he retires as MLB's all-time leader in hits (4,256), singles (3,215), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), and at-bats (15,890). did.
He won three World Series titles, three batting titles, and two Gold Glove Awards.
However, this accomplishment doesn't seem to be enough to dissuade Vincent from his opinion that Rose shouldn't be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Vincent acknowledged that his passing on Monday may make it easier for him to be inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame, even though sports betting is so widely accepted and popular. Former MLB executives didn't seem too keen on including Rose.
“Do you think he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame? I don't think people like him who are complicit in the corruption of the game deserve to be in the Hall of Fame,” Vincent said. “I think there should be a moral dimension to honor. Otherwise, we would have to hold the ceremony in the prison garden. In order to receive an award in the prison garden, we would have to take prisoners out of their cells. Because you have to. I don't think that's a good thing.”
Rose denied for years that he had ever bet on baseball, but finally admitted in 2004, claiming he had never bet against his own team.
In a 2018 interview with the Cincinnati Inquirer, Rose said his decision to bet on baseball was “one of the things I would change if I had to do it all over again.”
Vincent disputed the idea that Rose's actions were excused because he never bet against his own team, saying, “Not betting every day means betting against your team on pitchers that don't apply to you.'' It won't happen,” he pointed out. Especially good or even good. ”
The former MLB commissioner later added that if Rose had acknowledged his mistake sooner, perhaps history would have turned out much differently for him.
“If he had done that, I think he would have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago,” Vincent said. “But instead, he played a very hard game because, let's be honest, he really thought playing it straight would cost him money, and he was desperate to make a lot of money. He thought that if he could be inducted into the Hall of Fame, it would make his signature even more valuable. That would make him a more appealing speaker. And he was probably right about that.
“I think eventually the baseball world will find a way to respect people in a different category and within limits. So it's going to be kind of defamatory, but that's part of his legacy. It will be a form of honor that recognizes his many disadvantages.”
