Due to his gambling, Pete Rose is the only player in the history of Major League Baseball to receive a lifetime suspension. In light of the recent Biogenesis suspensions—and the Alex Rodriguez controversy—he has been in the spotlight a bit more and has reiterated his desire to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. In a recent interview with John Phillips on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Rose said he wishes he had chosen a different discretion—like hitting his wife or being an alcoholic.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview
“First of all you have to understand, I don’t call these guys to do the shows, they call me. Of course with all this steroid talk and the 12 guys being suspended and A-Rod appealing they want my input because I’m suspended for life.”
“Everything’s a different case. I can’t whine about it I’m the one who messed up and I’m paying the consequences. However, if I’m ever given a second chance I won’t need a third chance.”
“ To be honest with you, I picked the wrong vice. I should have picked alcohol , I should have picked drugs, or I should have picked beating up my wife or my girlfriend because if you do those three you get a second chance. They haven’t given too many gamblers second chances in the world of baseball.”
Rose also discussed the other major MLB gambling controversy—The Black Sox, Joe Jackson and the World Series.
“I don’t like to be compared to Joe Jackson because Joe Jackson I think took money to throw World Series games,” said Rose. “I know I bet on my own team to win.
“So there’s pretty much a big difference there, but both of us are wrong.”
Although Rose is lobbying for his induction he did tell Phillips, “It’s the worst mistake I could have ever made.”
“If I ever [were to] make the Hall of Fame I’d be the happiest guy in the world. But I don’t want you to think that when I go to bed at night I’m going to pray I go to the Hall of Fame. I’m the one who screwed up and like I said if I ever get a second chance I won’t need a third.”
Rose mentioned not needing a third chance twice—something for which Alex Rodriguez is lobbying, since this is the second time he has been linked to performance-enhancing drugs.
If Rose had not gambled he would have been a shoe-in for Cooperstown. The former Cincinnati Red is the all-time hits leader in the history of the MLB with 4,256. He hit .303 in his 24-year career with 130 homeruns and 1,314 RBIs.
