The Dark Side of Pete Rose Haunts Hall of Fame Hopes

Separating baseball’s hit king from the degenerate gambler clouds his legacy.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Former Major League Baseball player and manager Pete Rose speaks during a news conference at Pete Rose Bar & Grill December 15, 2015 at Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Ray Birmingham, now retired as one of the winningest coaches in college baseball, remembers the day 20 years ago when Pete Rose spoke to a group of minor league prospects about the evils of gambling. Mr. Rose, considered one the best players of any era, served as a real-life casualty after being banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on the sport.

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