Shed no tears for Pete Rose - or for baseball either.
Though his indefinite but probably permanent suspension is a sad way to end an otherwise illustrious career, Rose is being treated no worse than other sports figures involved in gambling. And his problems are of his own making.Even if one accepts Rose's continuing claim to have bet on other sports but not on baseball, he should have known the risks he was taking. The best rule is still to avoid not only wrongdoing itself but even its appearance. That goes for people in all walks of life - but particularly for sports figures whose prominence makes them role models for young people.
While many fans of the former Cincinnati Reds manager will believe only what they want to, one can accept his claim of innocence only by believing that a man known as a scrapper on the diamond can turn into a quitter off the field. And only by turning a blind eye to the tape recordings, checks, telephone records, betting sheets with his handwriting, and the testimony of former associates - all supporting the accusation that Rose bet on his own team.
Consequently, though Rose's suspension is being called a sad day for baseball, it is nothing of the sort. While surgery can be painful, there's nothing sad about an operation that eliminates problems and helps avoid worse ones in the future. Rose's suspension ends a seven-month fight that at one point threatened to drag on in the courts for years. Moreover, by exerting a deterrent effect, the suspension of Pete Rose could help baseball prevent other gambling scandals.
Under the terms of the suspension, Rose theoretically could apply for re-admission and be back in baseball in only a year. But not one of the 15 other players who have been indefinitely suspended from the game over the years has ever been reinstated.
So, farewell, Pete. Baseball fans will long remember your outstanding prowess as a player. But it's also good to see that there are some limits to America's penchant for hero-worshipping its sports stars.