Pete Rose & the Lifetime Ban

There are really only two things you need to know about Pete Rose:

1. He is the all-time hit leader (4,256 hits - 67 more than Ty Cobb)
2. He bet on baseball.

"Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the 1919 Black Sox were the most infamous players to bet on baseball. That team threw the World Series by betting on their opponent, the Cincinnati Reds, and losing on purpose. Major League Baseball had "Rule 21: Misconduct" in place, which prohibits gambling, bribing or any other kind of behavior that might put a player's integrity in question. Everyone knows the rule and it is mandatory to have it printed and posted in every clubhouse.

Rose bet on horse racing, basketball and football his entire life. He had a gambling addiction; it gave him the rush he needed when he was not playing baseball. In the late 80s, Rose went on a cold streak and he began losing lots of money on the other sports. He then turned to baseball to try and turn his luck around. Rose, who was the manager for the Reds at the time, claims to have never bet against his own team.

Allegations against Rose first emerged in February 1989, when he met with MLB commissioner Peter Ueberroth and National League president Bart Giamatti to talk about rumors regarding his gambling exploits. When asked if he ever bet on baseball, Rose responded with a firm "No."

Not a good move, bro.

A few weeks later, Giamatti took over as commissioner and the MLB announced it would begin investigations on "serious allegations" against Rose. In April 1989, Sports Illustrated published a story about Rose betting on baseball and stuck him on the cover. Meanwhile, the MLB had hired John Dowd to do some research on the situation and the Dowd Report was submitted to Giamatti in May. It was a 225-page report that included bank, telephone and betting records and the ultimate conclusion that Rose bet on baseball.

Even though Rose denied it, Giamatti believed the report, and he sentenced Rose to a lifetime ban from the MLB on August 24, 1989. Just a week later, Giamatti died of a heart attack. Some say because it hurt his heart so much to see an honorable player such as Rose disrespect the game, while some say it was because he was overweight and smoked three packs a day.

In 2002, Rose met with MLB commissioner Bud Selig about the ban and he actually confessed to betting on baseball after years of regret, turmoil and gambling therapy. Selig heard his plea and was satisfied with Rose finally coming clean, but it does not seem that he will lift the lifetime ban anytime soon. Rose also wrote a piece for Sports Illustrated in 2004 telling his side of the story, truly a great article.

In the meantime, Rose is trying to get back on the fans' good side:

No joke, you can actually buy this baseball from his website for $400.