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.

Reggie Bush & the Heisman Debacle

Introducing the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, from USC, running back, Reggie Bush...

On December 10, 2005, Reggie Bush became the 71st winner of the Heisman Trophy, the "Most Prestigious Award in College Football." Just over five years later, Bush was to return the trophy because of his irresponsible actions and lack of integrity while at USC and in the NCAA recruiting process.

In 2005, Bush had one of the most dominating, and incredible, seasons in the history of college football. He amassed 1,740 rushing yards, 478 receiving yards, 672 yards from kick returns and 19 touchdowns. Bush won the Heisman Trophy over Vince Young of Texas and teammate Matt Leinart, who had won the award in 2004.

So what did Bush do to cause this incredible season and these unforgettable memories to be erased from the history books? Bush accepted improper benefits from an agent; over $300,000 in hotel fees, cars, house rent, spending money and more.

When Bush was found guilty after NCAA probing in 2010, USC was punished for Bush's dirty deeds. The Trojans were put on a four-year probation, put on a two-year postseason ban, removed of 30 scholarships for the next three years and were forced to vacate all of their wins from 2005 and their 2004 National Championship.

And Bush is punished... how?

Since Bush is in the NFL now, the NCAA could not touch him. He was sued by the people who gave him the benefits because he did not pay them back; does that count? No.

The NCAA is completely out of control. Stories come out every year about recruiting violations, improper benefits and other illegal activity from collegiate programs. The NCAA hands out discipline, the school self-imposes some restrictions for the future seasons.

That is good, right? The school learns its lesson and the player who committed the "crime" gets kicked off the team. But what about in Bush's case, where the player has moved on and earned millions of dollars in bonuses, salaries and endorsements at the professional level? Well, the NCAA is out of luck.

There was some pressure on Bush to return his Heisman Trophy after this stuff came out. Of course his off-the-field antics have nothing against him being the best collegiate player in 2005, but in the eyes of the "Heisman Trust," Bush did not represent what it meant to be a role model and a champion.

So the "Trust" stripped him of the honor, just like it never happened (if you check out the list of Heisman Winners on their website, the winner for 2005 does not even exist!). Bush actually spoke of his regret and mistakes, and claimed that he would return the trophy as a sign of respect.

However, Bush has not yet returned the trophy, which he had loaned to the San Diego Hall of Champions. It has recently been returned to the Bush family from the museum and the whereabouts of the stiff-arming statue are not exactly known at this point...

Holding Down the Fort: Michael McKenry

As the hanging Carlos Marmol slider was reciprocated into a fly ball into the cheap bleachers at PNC Park, Michael McKenry slowed to a trot halfway down the first base line. The stadium erupted into pandemonium as the Bucs took a 7-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth, about five minutes after being down 4-3 with two outs as Marmol trotted in from the bullpen. But after Josh Harrison flared a single to center on the first pitch to score Neil Walker, McKenry held his own on a 0-2 count and launched a three-run shot to send the Pittsburgh Pirates into first place in the NL Central... goddamn Mark Kotsay.

Awesome shot

My first impression of McKenry was on June 21, when I went to his Buccos debut vs. the Mets. He picked a guy off second base and sprinted out every ball he hit, whether it was a knubbly ground ball or a pop fly to shallow outfield. He was giving it every ounce of effort on every single play, throwing his entire body at all of the balls in the dirt and blocking all of them. You have to respect a ballplayer who doesn't take anything for granted.

Really, why would he? As a career minor leaguer with the Rockies, McKenry was in Colorado's minor league system from 2006-2010 and went hitless in the only eight at-bats he saw in the majors. He was in the Red Sox AAA affiliate in Pawtucket when the Bucs traded for him in mid-May. Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder had gone down with injury, and Wyatt Toregas wasn't really doing the job...

Precisely

I love McKenry's attitude. He digs out wild pitches, he hustles his ass off and in every shot you see of him there is a distinct layer of sweat on his face. Nothing paints the picture of a ballplayer more than a dirty jersey, a receding hairline and a smile. Even though his homerun count was 0 before tonight, McKenry has looked much better at the plate as of late. After being nearly an automatic out early in his Buccos career, he is fighting through counts, making good contact and is beginning to get hits on a regular basis.

Since McKenry slipped on the black and gold #55, Pittsburgh is 13-5 when he is in the starting lineup. It really doesn't matter that McKenry may not hit many more homeruns this year, or that he probably won't hit above .250. Because what he brings is that defensive rock behind the plate and a positive attitude that the Bucs need from every single player for nine innings each day.