Pete Rose

Twelve Major League Baseball records, eight national league records, three World Series championships, one baseball player and coach, one big mistake. Pete Rose is one of the best to ever play America's greatest past time. Pete Rose also made one of the biggest mistakes a player could ever do, bet on the game. For that, he is banned from baseball and not allowed to be in baseball's elite Hall-of-Fame.

Pete Rose is probably one of, if not the greatest baseball player to play in the Major League therefore he should be in the Hall-of-Fame. It's hard to let someone who has 4,256 hits, 3,215 singles, 14,053 at-bats, and 3,562 games played. He is second all-time in doubles, fourth in runs, and collected at least 100 hits in his first 23 seasons, a record. He had more than 200 hits in a season 10 times, also a record, led the league in hits in seven seasons, and is the most prolific switch-hitter in history. He is the only player to play 500 games at five different positions and was named the Player of the Decade for the 1970s. Those are just a few of his statistics. As a free agent in 1978, Pete signed to play for the Philadelphia Phillies. Similar to his days with the Reds, Rose was instrumental on the Phillies pennant winning teams in 1980 and 1983 and led the team to the World Series Championship in 1980. Prior to the 1984 season, Pete signed to play with the Montreal Expos. That relationship however was short lived. Rose was given the chance to return to the Reds during the summer of 1984. Once he was told that he could both act as a manager as well as play, his decision was made. On August 16, 1984, Pete was again a Cincinnati Red. On September 11, of the following year, Pete established his place in baseball history when he set the all-time major league hit record of 4,192 breaking Hall-of-Famer Ty Cobb's mark of 4,191. Pete totaled an amazing 4,256 hits by the time of his retirement.

After his retirement Pete Rose was found with betting on baseball. He never admitted to it but with evidence such as fingerprints on betting slips didn't help his case. For that he was banned from baseball by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, never to play, coach, manage, or hold any office in Major League Baseball. He never admitted to it until January 7, 2004 on ABC television. In his book he wrote, "My Prison without Bars" where he admits to placing bets and placing bets on the Cincinnati Reds.

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