Letters to Bud

Playoffs Approach, Like Gambling, Potentially Exciting

2007-08-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

The playoffs are approaching; the division/wildcard races are shaping up. In the American League Central, the Tribe’s got a three-game lead over the defending AL champ Detroit Tigers, Boston’s lead over the Yankees in the East stays steady, while Los Anaheim stays ahead of the potential-wildcard Mariners. In the National League, it’s a toss up in the Central between the Cubs and your Brewers. The East is still tight, too between the Mets and Phillies, while the Pads and D-backs are even in the West.

If I was a gambling man, and I’m not, I’d say that each of these contests would be exciting to bet on. I’d also say that wouldn’t make me a bad person. It’s easy for me to say that because I’m not a high-profile athlete, or high-profile anything for that matter. But it’d be exciting (personally) to drop some wagers on these season-ending battles.

I’m certain that’s how Pete Rose felt. Betting on baseball was exciting to him. Why? Because he digs baseball, and in life, everything, whether we want it to or not, hinges on money. It’s 2007, Mr. Commissioner. We, at this point in human existence, are celebrating the feats of our sports heroes more than any other time in history. Pete Rose should be no exception. He made a mistake. He was not gifted at the art of trying to fix that mistake. He was, however, gifted in the game of baseball. That, in and of itself, has Cooperstown written all over it.

Let’s lift the ban.

Gambling Addiction Not Taken As Serious As Others

2007-08-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Okay. I’m through page 45 of the report. Thus far, I’ve uncovered significant evidence of Pete Rose gambling extensively and lying about it in his deposition. It’s unclear to me what sports he’s betting on; it’s also irrelevant. What I do find important is that Pete Rose clearly has/had a gambling problem. Assuming that statement -- he was allegedly at one point $200,00-400,000 in debt to various bookies -- is true, why are we continuing to punish him for this disease when we make so many grander efforts with other afflictions everywhere, every day in our society?

Yes. I still have a lot more reading to do. I’ve not yet read anything Rose himself has published. I do know this, though. When substance-abuse users, for example, get themselves into trouble, we take steps to get them help and put them right back on the job, unless of course their punishments dictate suspension. Why is gambling different? If Pete Rose had a problem with gambling, why can we not make an effort, or at least show that we tried, to get him the help that he needs?

Perhaps these points are all moot now that Rose is in his 60s and not necessarily affiliated with the game anymore. I still think it’s important, though, to recognize the good things he accomplished on the field. As I’ve said before, other players have had issues, whether they’ve been forced to face them or not. And they get the praise and the accolades.

The guy that holds the record for the most important offensive stat in baseball, however, is still on the outside. Why, I ask you, can we not unlock the gate, and take the first step to letting him back in?

Huard, Rose Proven Winners in Own Regard, Same Style

2007-08-27T15:52:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

The Kansas City Chiefs made the right decision. They’ve announced they’ll go, at least for the September 9 opener in Houston, with the veteran guy, Damon Huard. Head Coach Herman Edwards indicated that Huard gets the nod, because he’s the proven winner. The proven winner.

Three championships and the title as the hit king also, in my book, qualify Pete Rose as a proven winner. Only he gets no official acknowledgement of these accolades due to a ban put on him by a guy who held office for a miniscule fraction of the time Rose played professional baseball.

The continuation of the ban is a travesty. Can we at least put some feelers out there, an official statement from your office perhaps, that asks what baseball fans think? We know what a lot of them thought four years ago. A considerable amount has changed since then, though. It’s time for more serious consideration regarding this issue. Please, Mr. Commissioner, for the sake of the game. Lift the ban.

Preparedness To Win

2007-08-24T15:46:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

The Kansas City Chiefs have a decision to make. After dropping their third of three pre-season football games last night, the who-will-be-the-starting-quarterback debate weakens as the youngster Brodie Croyle continues to make poor decisions and throw interceptions. Last night’s opponent, the New Orleans Saints, made the Chiefs look like a team uncertain of its own identity. The Saints, be it running, passing or defending, have their football tactics honed and ready for regular-season play.

The Chiefs, however, seem far from that stage. There are great deals of steps they need to make in order to be ready for competition on Sundays. This week’s contract-extension signing of running back Larry Johnson should help. That, however, is only one facet of the game. The club has its work cut out for it if it anticipates being able to hit from both sides of the plate, if you will.

Switch-hitting, one of many talents Pete Rose had on the baseball field, translates in football to time management while in possession of the ball and keeping your defense fresh, rested and ready to make plays. Metaphorically, this is a tactic that opposing managers could never employ when preparing their hurlers to pitch to Rose, as he could push and pull the ball, regardless of the pitcher and his handedness. HBO and NFL Films’s “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs” attempts to cover what it takes to be ready to play the game.

A special of such a nature on Rose could be highly educational to the youth of America in learning the game of baseball. This is one more reason why the ban on Rose should be lifted.

Fine Toothing The Dowd Report, Vol. I

2007-08-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I’m a short ways into my studies of the Dowd Report. Suffice it to say that it is thus far, very interesting. My initial response is that I find it bizarre and amazing that this much energy and funds were exerted in order to finger one man’s inappropriate actions. Uninformed as I remain, I’m curious to find the underlying cause of why Pete Rose was cast so forcedly into the spotlight. I anticipate, that until I uncover more information, that this curiosity will become clearer. That said, the first 30 pages contain a lot of speculative information regarding Rose’s involvement in betting on baseball.

Numerous facts leave him guilty by association, but one must remain steadfast that facts also leave him as baseball’s all-time leader in hits. Until overwhelming evidence disproves that already-known tidbit, I’ll stay hot on the trail of Operation PutPeteIn.

Baseball Writers Display Mixed Emotions

2007-08-22T19:10:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

In the small amount of reading I’ve done, I’ve come across some interesting quotations. The magnitude of individuals involved with Pete Rose’s circumstances has already astonished me. It would appear that Rose’s best chance to get voted in -- the Baseball Writers Association of America -- has come and gone. I learned this from a USA Today article that’s not quite as old as the others I’d come across. Rod Beaton, the article’s author, quotes several baseball writers and their varying opinions on whether or not they’d vote for Rose’s selection to Cooperstown. He cites Minneapolis Star Tribune writer La Velle Neal III as having mixed emotions. Neal writes:

"It is rather disturbing that he would use a method of making money (writing a
book) in order to admit his guilt," but later adds, “If Pete Rose is reinstated
by Major League Baseball, he should be considered for the Hall of Fame. If he's
on next year's ballot, I'd probably vote for him. He is the hit king. If we
start using character to determine who enters the Hall of Fame, you would have
to go back and re-evaluate a lot of people already in.”

This (the latter part) is a point I believe I have made before. Many athletes (including those in Major League Baseball) have made mistakes and told lies, some, it is speculated, did so before Congress, or pretended not to be able to speak English all of a sudden. I don’t mean to weigh one offense against another, but a mistake is a mistake.

It would also appear that some that would vote Rose in would prefer to wait, a sort of imposed punishment for his actions and lies. We’re going on 20 years since Giamatti’s ban, a span that’s closing in on the amount of time Rose’s professional baseball career stretched. How much time is due punishment? I’d say 18 years is a nice round number. Let’s end this before 20 and get this ban lifted.

Reading Time

2007-08-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I’ve got some reading to do. Until this point, I’ve done nothing but offer my opinion and comparisons to sports-related stories regarding Pete Rose’s lifetime ban from baseball. Yesterday, I discovered a plethora of stories on USAToday.com. They’re all listed under the tagline of “Rose and Gambling.” They all discuss actions that’ve taken place in regard to Rose’s efforts to get back into baseball.

They also have something else in common. They’re all dated 2002.

What happened? These pieces are loaded with hints and suggestions that you were once considering liftage. No new developments?

I find that slightly difficult to believe and am curious to know what they might be, if in fact there are any. These articles suggest that there is still a significant split amongst those that feel Rose should be re-instated, those that do not, and those that have an opinion, with sub-opinions attached to them.

That said, I have large piles of texts to scour, my feeling unchanged regarding Pete Rose’s still-deserving place in baseball’s hall. Let’s make like 2002 and start the wheels of unbanishment rolling once more.

Holmes, Rose Still Loved By Fans

2007-08-20T15:55:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I hate it when one of my sports heroes does something shady. That’s the best word I can think of to describe Priest Holmes’ behavior as of late.

He says he’s here for the team, both to the local and national media, that his presence will be quite something for the youth of the club admire. But his behavior seems as though he’s only looking out for himself. There’s still time before the National Football League’s 2007 regular season gets underway, but I’m worried that this series of strange bits might be the last Chiefs fans see of Holmes.

I doubt Reds fans would say the same about Pete Rose. He started and ended his career with Cincinnati and delivered them two national championships plus the all-time hit record. He also managed some good clubs at the end of his playing career and probably inspired many people.

Holmes is the all-time leading rusher for the Chiefs. Larry Johnson will likely break that record, but Holmes has been something else, a breath of fresh air, something new to root for for Chiefs fans in the last five-plus years. Again, I’ll bet Reds fans feel the same regarding Rose; he was probably a cool blast in the 60s, 70s and 80s (not to mention Phillies and Expos fans), something they all fondly remember now.

Even though Holmes behavior of late has been peculiar, Chiefs fans will always love him, hope to see him on the Ring of Fame one day, maybe even in Canton. If an undrafted, persistent recoverer-from-injury back like #31 instills that kind of pride, how must Reds fans feel?

Please, Mr. Commissioner, for the Cincinnati fans, lift the ban.

Giambi Situation Looks Bizarre

2007-08-17T07:26:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I’ll be brief today.

Why does Jason Giambi get off with a slap on the wrist for admitting his participation in the use of performance-enhancing substances? It makes no sense. Many have maintained their non-association with steroids and they continue to play baseball and make themselves a compelling argument for the hall of fame.

If Pete Rose had continued to deny the gambling allegations against him, would he now have a bust in Cooperstown?

I’m confused.

Rose's Wagering Assumed Greater Offense Than Animal Cruelty

2007-08-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Last night, after watching the second installment of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Kansas City Chiefs,” my buddies and I stayed tuned for Bryant Gumbel’s “Real Sports.” Like everything else associated with media and sports in recent weeks, there was a feature on dog fighting. They interviewed one guy that used to run a dog-fighting ring, breed/sell dogs for fighting, and murder those canines that were deemed “unfit for competition.” The special, in its entirety, was horrifying and disgusting.

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell is doing the right thing by allowing the legal system to determine what will happen with Michael Vick and his indictment. Some sports media figures are suggesting that the allegations of gambling charges are of greater concern to the NFL than those associated with the brutality towards animals. I find this preposterous. How is malicious murder a lesser offense than wagering and gaming? How is it that the world of professional sports can say with a clear conscience that it’s a greater offense to wager monies on competition than to willfully kill other creatures?

I’ve never been a gambling man myself, and I’ll probably never become one. I do however love me some sports. And some animals. Therefore, these statements by media personalities are, to me, mind boggling and ridiculous. Can one assume that Pete Rose could have his rightful spot in the hall of fame had he run a dog-fighting ring? I ask you to let that question sit with you for a minute.

Pete Rose raised the bar of baseball, the glory of the game and the will to compete. Sure. He bet on baseball while a part of the league, and obviously, he lied repeatedly when questioned on the matter.

Is that a greater offense than the utter disregard for man’s best friend?

Pete Rose. Cooperstown. Make it happen.

Playing to Win Name of the Game for Rose

2007-08-15T16:05:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

The Kansas City Royals have something like seven hours left to sign their 2007 first-round draft pick Mike Moustakas to a contract. If a deal doesn’t get inked, the kid will allegedly go play college ball at the University of Southern California.

I find this development (or lack thereof) a bit disturbing in that four of the five top picks from the draft are still unsigned, allowing their agents to barter for more money for them. I don’t want to get into all that I dislike about the systems and financial aspects of today’s game. Media sources keep reporting, though, that this kid is eager to play pro ball, and is excited about being a Royal. I can’t really think of any athlete in any market in any similar situation saying anything different, but Moustakas’ alleged attitude, coupled with General Manager Dayton Moore’s confidence regarding getting a deal done equals one more reason to be excited about Royals baseball in the immediate future.

The only attribute I can finger as the common denominator in all of this is the desire to win. Moore wants to win. I have to imagine Moustakas wants to win. And we all know Scott Boras, Moustakas’ agent, wants to win himself some American dollars. Lots of guys in baseball say they want to win. One guy proved it. Pete Rose was and still is he ultimate example of wanting to win.

Let’s make today a milestone day. Let’s show the kids the model for wanting to win. Please, Mr. Commissioner, for the kids. Lift the ban.

Thinking It Through Could Be Wise For Some

2007-08-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Sometimes, knee-jerk reactions will get you out of a bind. Sometimes, they’re bad decisions later regretted. In perusing the newspapers and the Internets today, I came across the untimely phrase “lifetime ban” in reference to the Michael Vick (Editor's Note: Sweet Site and song, Oogs) proceedings. Those terms have such an ugly sound when put together. Now, nobody’s used that phrase as any part of any official ruling, but I think your NFL counterpart is juggling the thought of it as I write.

The tease of this phrase comes attached to of course the murdering of dogs, but heavily coupled with the gambling allegations associated with Bad Newz Kennels. Or is it Bad News Kennelz? I can’t remember. Granted, I don’t condone either of these activities. I find it peculiar, however, that the NFL has always been in favor of letting due justice play its role before making a statement on anything, and that seemed to be congruent with this case in the beginning. Rog’ did make an exception with Adam Jones based on his multiple offenses. And rightfully so. He seems to be eager to do that with Vick now, and, if I were you, I would caution him.

We wouldn’t want a commissioner of any professional coughcoughGiamatti leagues to make any hasty decisions coughcoughA.Bartlett regarding the entire future of one lone athlete coughcoughVincent. I find it’s always best to weigh everything and make wise, informed decisions that will be respected for generations to come. I suppose, though, if one were to make a rash decision, one would always have faith in one’s successors to right one’s wrongs coughcoughHere’sWhereYouComeIncoughcough.

One would hope that might happen for one Peter Edward Rose. He deserves to be in. Some time ago.

Tips To Aid Secret-Agent Mission?

2007-08-13T15:37:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Well, Bondsmania isn’t over yet, at least not in the eyes of some media figures. Jason Whitlock of The Kansas City Star wrote a column for yesterday’s paper claiming that Hank Aaron’s silence with regard to the ultra-hyped home run record chase was “golden.”

The column is long-winded and makes a few key points, but offers little new insight. The reason I mention it today is that Whitlock points out that segregation and steroids are a burden that belong solely to you as the commissioner of baseball.

I see this as an opportunity to re-visit a theme that I’ve brought up on several occasions: doing something positive, something different to shake some of the negative press from the foreground. What, you might ask, is something that squelchtacular.

It involves a specific number, that much I can tell you. It would be non-erudite of me to flat out give you the digits. I am, however, a huge fan of hints, and your hint is this: said number falls somewhere in the abyss of numeric range that spans from 13 on up to 15. Once you’ve compiled a team of strategists to solve this mystery, I, again, can’t tell you exactly what to do with it. I can offer one more hint, though.

Advanced phraseology may aid you in deciphering that the answer rhymes with “direct new troopers down.” That and the whole thing might have something to do with New York.

That’s all I got for you today, Mr. Commissioner. God speed.

Base Hits Plus Playing to Win the Game Equals Rose in Cooperstown

2007-08-10T16:33:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I had some friends over the other night for the debut episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. The wife’s out of town, we had some cold beers and really enjoyed the program. Afterwards, our talk shifted to baseball. In moments, I was in the midst of the second argument in less than a month with my friend Ed. The topic of our disagreement: Kansas City Royals outfielder Joey Gathright.

The Royals’ crowded outfield has been a baseball topic in Kansas City for most of the last two seasons. One of General Manager Dayton Moore’s first moves when he was hired a year ago, was to obtain Gathright from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for speed on the base paths and perhaps in the field as well. I feel that Gathright has shown very little contribution to the team. Ed thinks he’s incredible. We hollered and compared stats, and ultimately agreed to disagree. We did, however, agree on a couple of other matters. Well, we first continued our disagreement when I told him I’d rather, at this point, have Emil Brown playing leftfield over Gathright, which he found preposterous.

But we agreed that getting base hits (something Gathright can clearly not do) is crucial to winning games. And we agreed that the Royals have looked considerably better this season than they have in the last three. The hits conversation was the crux of things, though. It led us to talking about the hit king himself, and our agreement that Pete Rose definitely belongs in baseball’s hall of fame.

If Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Herm Edwards’ mantra of playing to win the game is in fact right about all sports, then hits is what gets you wins in baseball. Let’s end this thing. Let’s put Pete in. In the meantime, perhaps Gathright should check this out.

(Link courtesy of Be a Better Hitter)

If JoePos Says It, It Must Be Right

2007-08-09T16:17:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Joe Posnanski of The Kansas City Star wrote an (surprise) excellent column for today’s paper. It’s about the difference between football stats and baseball stats. And it’s about Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Donnie Edwards.

Posnanski talks about the incredible inner workings of Edwards’ mind and his undying desire to understand things and to do them right. As a Chiefs fan, I couldn’t be happier to have Edwards back in Kansas City. He’d always been a tremendous, underrated player; his contributions to both the Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers were phenomenal.

It’s the way in which Posnanski starts the piece, though, that got me thinking of our friend. He writes:

“…but you probably do not know off the top of your head, say, what is the exact
record for most career touchdowns or Jerry Rice’s total yards from scrimmage.

“You probably do know, on the other hand, how many home runs Hank Aaron
hit or Pete Rose’s hit total.”

And he’s right. Seven hundred fifty-five and 4,256, respectively. Four thousand, two hundred fifty-six and the man’s banned from baseball. I realize that you didn’t make that decision yourself. You can undo it, though. If Posnanski’s right, and most sports fans have that number rolling around in their head, doesn’t that imply that the figure is uber-important? I think it does. Let’s get the ball rolling and take the first step towards getting Rose in the hall.

Bad Press Easily Diverted

2007-08-08T18:51:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Well. Now that that’s finally over with, all the focus has turned to you. Shocker. Your fifteen years worth of commissioning appears to have not left you in the prettiest of lights. Deadspin really let you have it today, as are all of the sports talk radio personalities. Not to worry, though. I’ve got the solution.

As an older brother to three sisters, I frequently found ways to divert their attention when trouble arose. A stubbed toe? Give ‘em a Charlie horse in the thigh. Feeling particularly fat? Remind ‘em how ugly they are. Always takes their minds off of what they’re worrying about. Now, I come prepared to offer you a similar solution.

All of this ado over the newly crowned homerun king can be easily dissipated. It requires one step, and one step only. Yep. You guessed it: Lift the ban. Jim Rome had -- big surprise -- some really choice words for Bonds today. It all centered on the infamous asterisk. I posit that you, too can have an asterisk on your career.

For every time someone complains about the state of baseball’s affairs on your watch, imagine how awesome it could be if someone else would then turn and say, “Sure. But he got Pete Rose back in baseball.”

It’s that simple. The homerun king will go to Cooperstown no doubt. Can you really stand there with a clean conscience and allow that to happen while Pete Rose sits on the outside? I didn’t think so. Let me know how I can help get this ball rolling. I’ll be in touch.

If White Deserves A Shot, Rose Deserves The Gun

2007-08-07T15:53:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

When Royals Manager Buddy Bell announced his end-of-season retirement last week, local sports talk radio did the same thing they always do when the Royals are looking to change skippers. They jump on the Frank White bandwagon.

I don’t have an issue with this, per se. At least not until they start saying things like “He deserves the job,” or “He deserves a quality chance at getting the job.” These statements I take issue with. Why? Because Frank White has never proven to anyone that he’s a great AA or AAA manager of baseball. In three seasons, he led the Wichita Wranglers to the Texas League championship, but finished his stint there with a record barely above .500. Don’t get me wrong, number 20 is one of my all-time favorites, as he is with many longtime Royals fans. I just don’t think you go around handing out job interviews to guys just because they were incredible players for the team. Take Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes for example.

The ‘Yotes finished with one of the worst records in hockey last year; Gretzky’s stint as bench boss may be over is things don’t turn around this year for him and his club. I honestly wouldn’t mind White being given the same shot Gretzky was. I’ll just never imply that he deserves that shot.

Pete Rose, on the other hand, deserves a shot at being elected to baseball’s hall of fame. With the current ban, he won’t, he can’t get it. Frank White won eight gold gloves, was voted most valuable player in the 1980 American League Championship Series and was part of the Royals’ 1985 championship team. These don’t add up to “deserves a shot at managing the Royals.” They add up to Cooperstown potential.

Kind of like Pete Rose. Only not as obvious.

Rose's Feat Continues To Be Overshadowed

2007-08-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

This weekend, packed full of individual milestones, received much attention and scrutiny. Everything associated with Barry Bonds tying Hank Aaron’s record has been analyzed and re-analyzed for the better part of the last two years, especially when Bonds has been healthy. Alex Rodriguez’s 500th homerun was quite the story as well. It all developed with the special balls being used for both milestones, and the rainout game that would’ve meant Rodriguez’ 499th in Kansas City was technically his 500th.

Well, the makeup game came and went, ironically right in the middle of long homerless streak for Rodriguez, pitting him once more against the Royals in search of longball number 500. This time, obviously, he got it. Another interesting tidbit about the whole thing is that Rodriguez’s first major-league homerun came against, none other than, the Royals. Also in the mix was Tom Glavine, seeking his 300th victory, a feat he finally achieved on Sunday, but not before the media finally had a small field day with him being stuck on 299. Throw in the fact that he’s a lefty, and his company becomes even more elite.

If you break it all down to sole achievement though, nobody’s feat is as big as Pete Rose’s eclipsing Ty Cobb’s hit record. He did it as a switch-hitter, without steroids, and not in an age where homeruns likely happen three times more frequently than they used to. He did it in an era saturated with humility and steamrolled beyond the immediate thresholds of the previous mark. Those two facts alone are worth considering his re-connection with the game.

Pete Rose. Cooperstown. Today they are their own sentences. It would be nice to see them joined as one.

One Step Shy of Half of "Machine" Being In

2007-08-03T17:20:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

In light of the latest development with the Hit King and his alleged debacle at the U.S. Army Reds Legend Baseball Camp, I must remain steadfastly in favor of Mr. Rose’s still-non-existent inclusion in baseball’s Hall of Fame. The Big Red Machine of the mid 70s has been hailed as the greatest octet to ever take the field. How many of them are in Cooperstown? Only three to my knowledge. It could easily be six, most definitely five.

As I’ve mentioned in previous letters, Mr. Rose has demonstrated poor judgment and unappreciative public and private behavior. None of that, however, is a reflection of what number 14 stood for on the playing field. There are a number of guys in the Hall that have had suspect, at best, lives away from the diamond. Regardless of Rose’s unfortunate behavior at the baseball camp, I would still suggest he is a hero to many and should be a role model to the athletes of today.

Consideration for his future election to the Hall is in order. Rose was a key member to the Machine. Sparky Anderson was their skipper, and if he thought that the eight of ’76 was the best club to ever take the field, that should stand for something.

Oh. No. He Didn't.

2007-08-03T14:18:00.000-05:00

Fuck. Thanks a lot, dude. After all this work, you go and publish another volume of "Check Out How Much of An Asshole I Am." Sweet. The Enquirer ran this story yesterday and I'm less than thrilled. The Enquirer's Peter Bronson summed this fiasco up with the following paragraph:

"His comment that he was (bleeped) off that Marge didn't leave him any money in her will and that she left it all to the zoo. His comment about how Marge loved to smoke and she would have smoked in her sleep if someone was there to hold her cigarette all night. His comment that he saw Joe DiMaggio in the shower and he saw more of him than Marilyn Monroe ever did. His comment on a good friend of his that was a gambler - and how I could go on."

Further, Rene Collins, a mother who attended the function as part of a camp for freaking kids, Pete, said, "It was like an uncle at Thanksgiving you want to stick in a back corner." Sweet. I'm sure it was damn funny, yo, but this ain't "Last Comic Standing." Ugh.

Time For Bonds Equals Time For Rose

2007-08-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I was eating lunch with the wife today at a restaurant called the 810 Sports Zone. This, as you can imagine, is another one of those ESPN-type bars that are popping up all over the place. They’re busy with tons of sensory overload and a zillion televisions; we even had our own flat screen right in our booth. Nevertheless, we ate a very mediocre lunch delivered to us by a very terrible server. Luckily for us, the television, which I quickly switched from “Extreme Makeover” to SportsCenter,” was chock full of Barry Bonds coverage that was heavy under scrutiny vis-à-vis your presence at the still-yet-to-happen record-breaking game.

I thought I’d let you know that I don’t disagree with your decision to attend or not to attend each game that Bonds plays in until the record is finally tied and/or broken. I’m curious, however, if this time is affecting your ability to manage the other tasks for which a commissioner is responsible.

Like the campaign the House of Georges (http://www.houseofgeorges.blogspot.com/) is hoping you’ll launch, and by campaign, I mean one swift blow from your authoritative fist, to ultimately put Pete Rose baseball’s Hall of Fame. You could do it in a 30-second phone call en route to see your boy Barry not hit homeruns. I can hear it now:

“Yeah, Jim (I made that name up), it’s Bud. Good. Good. You? Great. Listen. Yeah, uh, I’ve decided to un-ban Rose. Huh? Yes. Of course Pete Rose. Of course I’m referring to the Hall of Fame. Anyway, gotta go. Get that paperwork ready. See you when I get back.”

There. That’s how easy it is. We have faith that you can do it. Let’s knock out that first step. You can check it off your list and move onto more Barry Bonds-related issues.

Royals Offer Bell Post-Retirement Position, Baseball Offers Rose Zilch

2007-08-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I’m listening to an on-the-road press conference at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota announcing that Manager Buddy Bell will step down at the end of this season. Many baseball fans want to call the guy a loser based on his records as a manager with the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies. When former Royals General Manager announced that Bell would succeed Tony Pena, the baseball naysayers never even gave Bell a chance.

There were also those that speculated that current General Manager Dayton Moore would relieve Bell of his duties when Moore was hired last summer. Moore proved them wrong and together, they appear to have the team headed in the right direction. Thus, I will mark Bell’s short tenure in Kansas City a success. Bell claims he has known since the first week of the season that something had changed for him, largely based on his health issues last September, and he feels good about the direction things are headed. He also claims to wish he could’ve stayed longer but he wanted to give the Royals ample time to find the right guy for the job.

In sum, Bell is doing what’s right for himself and what’s right for the organization, something I feel should be done for Pete Rose. A. Bartlett Giamatti put Major League Baseball as an organization first in determining what would be done with Rose and his gambling allegations. That decision was to set a model for what the league will not tolerate. The message is clear: gambling will not be tolerated. That message will not become any clearer with time; it is as explicit as possible right now. The Royals organization understands that Bell wants to put his family first. Baseball fans understand that Rose made a mistake. The Royals immediately offered Bell another position with the club. Baseball has offered nothing to Pete Rose.

Halls of Fame Linked to Nation's Collective Memory

2007-07-31T16:29:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

The passing of former San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Bill Walsh was sad news for many in the world of sports. Tagged as the father of the West Coast Offense, Walsh’s lineage of influence is heavily evident in today’s National Football League.

The same is true for the influence Pete Rose has had on the game of baseball and many of Major League Baseball’s athletes today. I imagine that a lot of them aren’t aware of it though, and that’s just not good enough. Bill Walsh, like Rose, won three championships. The difference is that, if you visit the NFL’s Hall in Canton, Ohio, you’ll see a bust of Walsh. Seven current or former NFL head coaches were employed by regimes Walsh led. The watersheds displayed by those students of his have also led to other successful coaching stints. The man is a football icon, and will forever be remembered as such.

Regardless of the fact that some don’t want to admit that Rose is a baseball icon, it’s a fact. He is. Rose’s placement in Cooperstown would help link generations of fans and players alike. That same lineage would be more evident to those that know little about Rose beyond his gambling scandal. This is about baseball and the preservation of the game. To a degree, you could argue that Rose’s gambling were decisions he made in his personal life. It can’t be said that Bill Walsh was a perfect man, but he’s remembered today and for years to come for his accomplishments. The same should be said for Rose. Please, Mr. Commissioner, lift the ban.

It's a Shame the Man Won't Sign Who He Is

2007-07-30T16:28:00.001-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I write to you today in the form of interrogation. The Kansas City Star published a little blip in today’s edition saying that Pete Rose made his usual appearance in Cooperstown this weekend to sign autographs. The paper reported that Rose and former Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt share the same autograph “shop.”

While that tidbit is interesting, I found it even more peculiar that Rose’s “menu” states that he won’t sign anything “Charlie Hustle” or “I’m sorry I bet on baseball.” That, to say the least, is bizarre.

The reason that I’ve been such a Pete Rose fan all of my life was for the very reason he was tagged with that moniker. I loved it as a kid, and love it now. It embodies how he played the game, how coaches wanted their kids and fathers wanted their sons to play the game. It reflects how I did play the game. I hustled. Every time I made contact, I tore out of the batter’s box. Each occasion in which I was given the steal signal, I lit out like it was 90 feet for safety or else. For every sharply hit ball to me in left or center, I sprinted, and sometimes dove to make the out.

And you just don’t see that in players anymore. Rose shouldn’t be embarrassed to sign autographs with those words. He shouldn’t be castigated for them either. In fact, he shouldn’t have to set up shop; he should be sitting there with all of the other Hall-of-Famers, applauding the new inductees. How long must we wait for this to become a reality? The punishment has been served. It’s time Rose visited Cooperstown annually the same way the rest of the former athletes and journalists do: as a member.

Redemption Takes As Long As Paying Off A Mortgage, Apparently

2007-07-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

It is my humble opinion that Kansas City Royals General Manager Dayton Moore has, thus far, done a superb job leading the organization. From day one, Moore indicated that the franchise would be re-built via pitching and fine-tuning the farm systems, and he appears to have kept his word. Coming off an impressive road trip, the Royals opened a four-game series against the New York Yankees, the hottest team in baseball, and the hometown boys did not fare well. They got trounced 9-2, 9-4, and 7-1 in the first three games, but they mustered a bit of redemption in the finale with a seven-run shutout victory.

Starting pitcher Jorge de la Rosa worked five and one-half innings before turning the game over to Zach Greinke and ultimately Joakim Soria; all three pitched well. And Alex Gordon was one single shy of hitting for the cycle. The team effort was refreshing and aided in minimizing the pain of the Monday-Wednesday losses. It was, in fact, redeeming.

Redemption is a word that often gets thrown around in the circles of sports and religion. I’m not sure what kind, if any, of faith Pete Rose adheres to, but I’m certain that the god of any faith would insist that his followers allow for a chance at redemption. I wonder why Major League Baseball won’t give Rose that chance. Is the league embarrassed by his age-old mistakes? Are the people that run it stubborn? Faithless? One would hope not. One would wish that those in power of the biggest league associated with America’s pastime might have some sense of good faith and forgiveness. One would hope, but 18 years later, A. Bartlett Giamatti’s ruling still stands. Pete Rose belongs in Cooperstown.

Eighty-six Bondsmania; Focus on 14

2007-07-26T16:20:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Today in The Kansas City Star, columnist Joe Posnanski compiled a list of things he’s been doing since the Barry Bonds “watch party” began. The list is pretty comical actually, entertaining too, the last of which is “See Barry Bonds even come close to hitting a homerun.” In essence, he’s been biding his time, waiting patiently.

The Bonds saga is fascinating to say the least. Are his numbers legitimate because of steroids allegations? Should there be an asterisk by his name in the record books? Will the commissioner of baseball be in attendance when Bonds ties Hank Aaron’s record? When he breaks it? These questions and many more swarm anything and everything Barry Bonds-related. Folks are tired of the charade; they’re eager to move on, cover something else.

I wonder if the Pete Rose dilemma draws any parallels in your mind. His numbers are legitimate. Should there be an asterisk by his name in the record books that exist? Can it be proved that Rose ever threw (intentionally lost) games? Do you have a different opinion than your two predecessors? These questions are much more interesting than those associated with the Giants slugger. It’s peculiar that the organization has (one may assume) seen to it that Bonds breaks it at home, as well as giving him rest in the form of days off.

Bonds will, barring disaster, break the record. Maybe he gets up into the 770s before he hangs ‘em up. Maybe he comes back for yet one more year to pad his stats. I don’t know. Eventually, though, we must move on in baseball. Bonds will someday grace Cooperstown’s halls. A figure of this much speculation will be in, yet Rose, a competitor of such immeasurable influence, remains out. Once Bondsmania has ended, let’s end the ban on Rose.

Priest Holmes' and Pete Rose's Names Sound Similar For A Reason

2007-07-25T17:16:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Today, my favorite-of-all-time Kansas City Chief announced that he will be making a comeback. Priest Holmes has indicated he will be with the Chiefs at the opening of training camp in River Falls, Wisconsin this Saturday. This is incredible, tremendous news. Not only does this give us the most dangerous backfield in the National Football League, it enhances our squad of leaders for the young players by a ton.

Through all of my excitement associated with this piece of news, I am left thinking of Pete Rose. The Chiefs made it very clear that they would leave the door open for Holmes after he suffered a neck injury via Shawne Merriman in the fall of 2005. Our front office, personnel, coaching staff and fan base greatly appreciate what Holmes did for the Chiefs and the community for the first five years of this decade. He was irreplaceable. He is irreplaceable. Sure, you can plug Larry Johnson in and he can put up awesome numbers and carry the team to victory on many given Sundays.

But he will never match the character displayed by Priest Holmes. Pete Rose was the same to the community of Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Cincinnati Reds organization, so much so, that the club brought him back after his stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos. They even signed him to a player/manager deal and basically set it up so that Rose could attain hit number 4192 in a Reds uniform. Motions like this hold meaning for eternity. It meant a lot to that organization have that individual accomplish that feat in their red and white, just like we’re proud to have Holmes in ours.

Though circumstances are vastly different, the community of Kansas City and the Chiefs organization left the door open for Holmes. Baseball, however, has shut the door on Rose. I urge you to consider re-opening it.

Clemens, Jeter, A-Rod, No Rose? C'mon...

2007-07-24T16:22:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I didn’t have high hopes for the debut game of the current Yankees/Royals series here in Kansas City. I did, however, have hopes. I hoped that the Royals, hot off their successful road trip, might make a decent effort out of the Clemens/Perez pitching matchup that kicked things off last night. And you know, they didn’t do half bad. Granted, Perez had a rough start and we fell down 4-0, but we were able to keep them at four runs for seven innings beyond that while chipping away at their lead with a couple of runs of their own.

It wasn’t until the ninth that the Bombers blew it open, the final 9-2. This of course, is unlike the way our bullpen has performed of late, but frustrating nonetheless. I admit that they’re the hottest team in baseball right now, and your boy Alex Rodriguez is tearing up the diamond everywhere he goes. Naturally, his up-the-middle base hit really turned things for the worst in the ninth, the dagger in the heart if you will.

I can tolerate the massive payroll, unlimited talent and gargantuanly obnoxious fanbase that comes with the Yankees. I don’t like it, but I can tolerate it. Hell, I have for this long, and we’ve managed to beat them on occasion; we even swept ‘em here year before last. Those were good times. Anyway, what I can’t tolerate are the decent, better-than-average members of their roster that will someday grace the halls of a Pete-Roseless Cooperstown. Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter…how can all of these names be granted permission prior to Rose?

It’s an outrage, I tell you, a situation that must be tended to. I hope that you can at least share the vision I have of Rose linking some of these player generations in baseball’s hall of fame.

Team Players a Shared Quality in Brett, Matthews and Rose

2007-07-23T18:49:00.001-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Tomorrow night at Kauffman Stadium, Royals play-by-play announcer Denny Matthews will be recognized as this year’s Ford C. Frick hall-of-fame inductee. In addition to the George Brett Pine Tar Anniversary t-shirts, the Royals will be giving out pins to honor Matthews and his continued excellence that began with the Royals’ inception in 1969. When I was a kid, you almost assumed that everyone always played for/worked for the same club their entire career; it was always weird to see guys acquired via trade or free agency. Brett and Matthews both fall into the no-longer-existent category of being employed by the same club for your entire career.

There’s another guy that’s touched baseball in a great way, and played 75% of his career with the same club. His name’s Pete Rose. Of his 24 years on the majors, Rose logged 18 of those with the Cincinnati Reds. The other six, of course, came in the form of five with the Philadelphia Phillies and one with the Montreal Expos. That’s pretty impressive in my book, and Rose is probably a hero in the minds of most Phillies and Reds fans. He should be recognized as a hero to the game, and have a spot in baseball’s hall of fame.

Word on the Internets and in the newspapers today is that you will not be attending any games throughout the duration of the current San Francisco Giants’ homes stand. I’m curious how you will be utilizing your official time, then, and am optimistic that some of that time will be spent re-assessing the Rose situation as his place in Cooperstown is imperative. With all due respect to the ongoings in the commissioner’s office, I would like to suggest that the removal of Pete Rose’s ban from baseball be added to the pile of things to be done.

Baseball and Its Potential Four-Star Recipe

2007-07-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

July is almost behind us, division races are tightening up, and wildcard spots are becoming the focus of daily baseball conversation. In the city in which your office operates, the hometown Yankees are closing in on the Boston Red Sox; here in the American League Central, the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers seem to swap first and second places as often as most hurlers vary between strikes and balls. The Royals are on pace to have their second consecutive winning month for the first time in ages. Speaking of non-first place teams, the Yankees will be in town for a four-game series, the second game of which will be the 24th anniversary of the esteemed Pine Tar Incident (note: letter from last Friday on this topic).

I was troubled this week when I discovered that the court case mentioned in The Kansas City Star article had a side note to it: It was the first ruling in which YouTube.com was involved/mentioned. Apparently, it was determined that Major League Baseball owns the rights to the video footage of the Pine Tar Incident, YouTube was contacted and asked to remove the footage (as per some sort of copyright violation), and they acted accordingly. Thus, I found it incredibly disappointing that Pine Tar footage was no longer accessible.

Not as disappointing as Pete Rose not being in the Hall of Fame, but, hey – apples and oranges. Everything is ripe for the picking. Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s record; the Yankees may not win the AL East for the first time in nine consecutive seasons; the Colorado Rockies are playing well, as are the Royals; your Brewers are on a tear; Chicago Cubs fans are beside themselves; Pine Tar Anniversary celebration will be commemorated by fancy George Brett powder blue t-shirts. Why not throw one more good ingredient into the big batch of awesome? Why not release the demons associated with Pete Rose’s past? Why not lift the ban on Charlie Hustle? It could be the ultimate recipe for continued excellence in the bigs.

Mike Vick, Adam Jones, Chris Henry Nothing Compared to Rose

2007-07-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

So Barry Bonds is three (Update: two) away from Hank Aaron’s record. Some folks think you should start attending his games as of, well, right now. Tough decision. If you go, you may as well acknowledge that Bonds goes in the record books asteriskless. If you don’t, you imply that you think he’s clean, never used performance-enhancing substances. The obvious choice is that you go. Bonds hasn’t been found guilty of anything, so you have to go along with that; similar to the way in which the National Football League is dealing with the Michael Vick/dog fighting scandal.

It would appear that they will let the courts handle everything and reserve any commentary/discipline until then, at which point, punishment, if necessary, will be handed out to Mr. Vick. And it is punishment that inspires me to write to you today. Adam Jones was involved in a strip club shooting where a victim wound up paralyzed from the waist down and Jones gets a one-year suspension; Chris Henry has been arrested like seven times in the last year and-a-half, he gets an eight-game suspension; Jared Allen and Kenny Peterson drove drunk and used steroids, respectively, and they each get four-game suspensions.

Vick allegedly has ties to these trainings, fightings and murderings involving dogs. If convicted, what will his punishment be? A fine, a suspension, perhaps both. And what about Pete Rose? He didn’t kill, maim, hurt, paralyze, use, drive drunk or any of the above. And he gets a lifetime ban? It’s not right.

Professional sports leagues are taking the right steps to make sure their high-profile figures act more socially appropriate. Rose committed nothing similar to any of these heinous acts. He should no longer be banned.

Championship Baseball Teams and the Figures That Lead Them

2007-07-18T19:00:00.001-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800
Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Last night's Royals victory over the Red Sox marked their 40th victory of the season, a feat that took them 'til the second week of August last year. I attribute this success to the vision and efforts of Royals General Manager Dayton Moore. His philosophy centers on putting good baseball people in position to do their jobs well.

Gambling on baseball, and the ensuing lying about said gambling, might not constitute Pete Rose as a good baseball person in the minds of some of your colleagues. Rose has, for a large part of his post-retirement life, been a jerk. This is not, however, to discount what he did for the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose was a major piece of the infamous Big Red Machine where he won two of his three championships and was named World Series MVP.

That's good stuff for Cincinnati/Philadelphia fans. Fans of the Brew Crew may very well be experiencing similar feelings with Milwaukee's success this year. There are key figures on that club to whom you attribute their good play. Perhaps there is even a future hall-of-famer on the team. I assume that you've been excited by the Brewers' play this season, and I ask you to consider what Rose meant for the clubs he played for, the fans for whom he provided so much elation.

It's time, Mr. Commissioner, to begin the process of un-banning Pete Rose from baseball. If Ben Sheets or Prince Fielder lead the Brewers on a pennant run, they'll be fan favorites for eternity. Don't the Reds fans of the 60s and 70s and the Phillies fans of the early 80s deserve to see their former hero in Cooperstown?

I for one, imagine that they do. Let's lift it.

Odd Pitching Matchups and Rose in the Minors

2007-07-17T15:52:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

This evening, Leo Nunez will make his major league debut as a starter for the Kansas City Royals as they face Tim Wakefield and the Boston Red Sox. Nunez has had previous stints with the Royals, filling in as a reliever in each of the last two years, but has been in the minors for the duration of this season thus far. This got me thinking about Pete Rose’s minor league career. There are some pretty impressive numbers in there, brief as a stay as he had below the bigs.

Rose’s three years (split between clubs in Geneva, Tampa and Macon) in the minors produces 301 hits, 12 homers, 191 RsBI, and a .312 batting average. That’s pretty impressive for a non-professional baseball player in the early 1960s. What’s also impressive is the pro career that followed, one full of accolades, achievements and awards.

I imagine there would be a number of feathers ruffled if you took the first step to lifting the ban on Rose, but I would also guess that a significantly larger number of people would appreciate it, even if some of those folks came from both camps. Please consider all that Rose did for the game, and that -- the example he left on the field -- which he has unintentionally continued to do for it since his retirement/ban.

Rose and Cooperstown are synonymous. Lift the ban, Mr. Commissioner. Please. It’s time for amends to be made, errors of the past forgiven.

Wilson, Rose Led Similar Paths

2007-07-16T18:16:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Today I’d like to say a brief word about former Kansas City Royals centerfielder Willie Wilson. Wilson was one of my heroes growing up; it pained and confused me to learn of his legal issues, and his post-retirement distance from the club has been a thorn in my side as well.

A recent article in The Pitch, a Kansas City area weekly, discusses his desires to lift the gray associated with his name and the organization. He wants to shed his bitterness, embrace the brilliant career that he had here as a player and start a new one as an instructor; the feeling appears mutual.

Wilson was one of four Royals suspended by the late commissioner Bowie Kuhn in 1984. Wilson’s original yearlong suspension was reduced, and Wilson was the only player kept by the club. My point in bringing all of this up centers on second chances. If Wilson was offered second chances by both the commissioner of baseball and the entire Kansas City Royals organization, why can’t Major League Baseball do the same for Pete Rose?

Rose deserves another chance. Please, set a token model for forgiveness, and lift the ban. It’s far time Rose had the opportunity to remove the gray associated with his name and with professional baseball.

Billy Martin, Bart Giamatti Kick it In Afterlife, Chuckle Over Errors

2007-07-13T16:19:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167

(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Though we’re still 11 days away from the 24th anniversary of the George Brett pine tar incident (note: hint as to what I’ll be writing about that day), but there was an interesting article in today’s Business Section of The Kansas City Star. Dan Margolies wrote about a legal dispute between one Leo Stoller and Brett Brothers Sports International, Inc. What the dispute was regarding is of little interest. Early in the article, however, Margolies offers this fine paragraph:

"Fans all remember that Brett’s dramatic ninth-inning home run against the
Yankees, putting the Royals ahead, was nullified by home plate umpire Tim
McClelland after he determined that the pine tar on Brett’s bat exceeded 18
inches in length. What fans may not remember is that American League president
Lee MacPhail subsequently overruled McClelland, and the Royals wound up winning
the game."

I like that term: nullified. I also like the brass it takes for a president to overrule what one of his colleagues has done. A. Bartlett Giamatti and Fay Vincent, Jr. are both respectable men, I’m sure. I continue to insist that no disrespect would be done to either individual were the ban on Pete Rose to be lifted. Margolies closes his piece with the phrase, “it’s a good thing that our legal system, like baseball, has appellate review.”

If baseball has appellate review, let’s review that August day in 1989 and re-consider the implications of Giamatti’s decision 18 years ago. Rose belongs in the Hall. I honorably request that you take the first step in putting him there. Tim McClelland made a mistake in that call, yet he continued an amazing career calling games. Why can’t the same oversight be attributed to Rose’s case? I suspect that it can, and hope that we will one day see eye to eye on this matter.

Hit King and Stolen Base King Should Live Under Same Roof

2007-07-12T15:32:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

There are two things I’d like to address today. The first, a story on MLB.com by Mike Bauman, discusses how baseball fans’ voting for the All-Star game this year was, on the whole, a more accurate reflection of how particular players were doing this year versus the athletes’ names alone as credential for a vote. The second centers on the New York Mets’ hiring of Rickey Henderson. Together, these news items themselves lobby for the lifting of the ban on Pete Rose.

The All-Star voting suggests what I’d implied in an earlier letter: Baseball, its fans and overall popularity are on the rise. I imagine it won’t be long before most, if not all, of the fans’ wounds from the strike and introduction of astronomic salaries are healed completely. Baseball needs those fans. Baseball deserves those fans. The All-Star voting suggests people are playing closer attention to teams other than their favorites, and the stats that go with those teams. This is a good sign.

Ricky Henderson has been in baseball as long as I can remember. Mostly, I remember him as an A first, a Yankee second, the king of the steal overpowering both. The Stolen Base King, they say. He stole those bases, including 25 as a 42-year old, via instruction, raw talent, and above all, hustle. Sounds like the M.O. of the Hit King.

Pete Rose and Rickey Henderson are two of a kind. They achieved what they did with perseverance and determination, two qualities all athletes should have and all fans should admire. Let’s aid those fans that are paying more attention to our game. Illuminate Rose’s path toward Cooperstown, for the good of the game and so that the knowledgeable fans can admire the Hit King and the Stolen Base King under the same roof.

Sought Employment or Not, Rose Should Be In

2007-07-11T16:18:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I’d like to discuss what a colleague communicated to me this week: Pete Rose wants back in baseball so that he may obtain employment as the manager of a major league team. This is the first I’ve heard of this, and I’m not sure what to make of it. By no means do I claim to be an expert on the man, however, I write to you today to suggest that if this is in fact true, and it’s this truth keeping Rose from being re-instated, perhaps a deal can be arranged.

The ban on Rose could be lifted with specifications attached. A clause, similar to one’s in National Football League athlete contracts (those who’ve had legal issues) can be worked into the negations implying that Rose be on a good-behavior trial run. Naturally, this would apply to his alleged situation in which he desires MLB employment.

What could (and should) take immediate effect, however, is the lifting of the ban that would allow Rose to be eligible for election into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Rose deserves to be in for his on-the-field play. His away-from-the-diamond antics are, in my opinion, a separate entity. If Rose seeks further employment with the league, let the current staff of league executives conjure up stipulations.

But let’s not let his athletic feats continue to go unrecognized by the generations of baseball fans to come.

The Hit Versus the Homerun

2007-07-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: With so little head-to-head baseball,yet so much ado about the game in general going on this week, it's time Cecil and I talk baseball again. This exchange bounces around the notion of Bud Selig's perpetual flailing, conspiracies surrounding A. Bartlett Giamatti, Barry Bonds stealing bases, and of course, Pete Rose.

Bankmeister: I figured our House of Georges project was kicking so much ass that I'd create another one, the sole purpose of which would be to monitor the actual letters I'm sending to baseball's handsome commissioner every week day. It's a very young project, but one I enjoy and firmly believe in, as Pete Rose's contributions to the game had a remarkable impression on my young baseball-oriented mind. Old No. 7 says he's squarely on the fence about Rose's situation/debacle. He says there's no doubt he's Hall material, but he's made a small business (with income) for himself by showering the world of baseball with propaganda regarding his non-election to Cooperstown, not to mention he's acted like an ass for most of his post-baseball adult life. What's your stance on Rose, the ban, the Hall? How does it compare to the Barry Bonds dilemna of today?

Cecil: I'm not gonna lie, Chief, I think you've bitten off a massive hunk with these letters to Bud. Soon, the reading public will start demanding that you live up to the missive-per-day conceit, and you're not gonna have any time to ogle internet boobies, dodge the chores your lovely new bride is assuredly laying on you or even shut your eyes for a few blessed minutes of that sweet, sweet darkness. But I see that you're serious.

And serious for a good cause. Unlike our pal Ol' No. 7, I'm with you on Rose. To my mind, the only thing keeping Rose out of the Hall is his own unendurably crappy personality. Baseball writers and executives loved Bart Giamatti. Rose lying to St. Bart was enough by itself to make a lot of those minds up, and he's only made his own case worse since. That hamfisted semi-mea culpa was just embarrassing.

Betting on the game is serious business, for sure, and I'm not suggesting that Rose be allowed back into the league -- which, ironically enough, is what he really cares about, so he can get another managerial job -- just that a Baseball Hall of Fame without Pete Rose in it is a sham, a piece of revisionist history.

I've said it before on the House: Ty Cobb stabbed a night watchman, climbed into the seats to assault fans, slept with a black orphan under his bed for "luck." Tris Speaker not only bet on baseball but likely consciously affected the outcome of games he played. Both are in the Hall.

I could be wrong, but I doubt that there's any evidence Rose ever tanked anything. He did lie about his original statements, yes, and the resultant miasma surrounding the situation is pretty effin' gamey--but call me naive. Tanking doesn't seem to be in his nature. This is, after all, the guy who earned the sarcastic sobriquet "Charlie Hustle" from Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle because he ran out groundouts in spring training. Even a hardcore gambler bets with his own innate prejudices. My gut feeling is that Pete Rose would not ever have bet against himself, and thus, his team.

Bonds' situation is a tad different, for two reasons: his cheating is rooted in substance abuse and it took place on the field. While gamblers and gambling abuses have been present in baseball for decades -- and who knows what 1880s-1920s stats are whacked out because of it? -- the notion of our game and its sacred records being vulnerable to Better Athletics Through Chemistry jabs us in a different place. It feels more dishonest, even if, when it's all counted, it really isn't.

I know, it's a hell of a hair to split, but for Christ's sake, this is baseball. Not everything has to make sense. And, even though I feel what Barry (and Sammy and Mark and Rafael) did is a bigger affront to the integrity of the sport, there's no way The Head ain't going to the Hall. He was bound for a bust long before he took his first 'roid...and now that I think about it, that almost pisses me off more than anything. He could have broken Aaron's record without any of it, but did anyway, supposedly because a simple case of professional jealousy. Jesus. What a waste.

B: You bring up some awesome points. Bart Giamatti was quite a figure. He got Rose to "agree" on the lifetime ban. Here's what's odd to me: Giamatti sets up the ban, and Rose allegedly agrees to it. Nine days later, the commish's ticker explodes and he croaks in office, opening the path for his newly appointed deputy commissioner (a previously non-existent job) Fay Vincent, Jr. to step in, continue his pivotal role in crucifying Rose, then resign three years later. In comes Bud Selig, who gets appointed to some random title that might as well be called interim commissioner and he just hangs out for six years until he's finally elected to the actual position.

I mean, talk about crazy. If Jesus hates Cleveland, then God must loathe things that rhyme with "she a hotty." It's a scam. I can't point out exactly how, but it's got scandal written all over it. If Rose agreed, he was probably scared. We've all done that when the cops come knockin'. Nobody's trying to defend his assiness, and yes, the things you've said on the HoG are, to an undecided degree, worse than Rose's baseball-related flounderings.

I say it doesn't matter. He's the freaking hit king. His record-breaking single left him on first base alone for nine solid minutes. The world of baseball actually stopped functioning to recognize this milestone. The press was different back then, but I wonder if Barry'd hit 756 on that same day, instead of Rose hitting 4192, would, in your opinion, the baseball world've celebrated that feat to the same degree? It's hard to imagine without the InterNets, the masses of media, etc. that we have today. And of course the juice clouds everything, too. But I also am curious about Dan Patrick's interview of Selig Monday.

I didn't hear it, but Old No. 7 re-capped it for me, and basically it sounds like Patrick went off on Selig for not having a stance on celebrating Bonds' upcoming record breaker. Patrick had just announced he'd be leaving ESPN and, therefore, in ONS' estimation, he was free to call it as he saw it. Selig allegedly said he hadn't decided on whether or not he would be there. Patrick pressed the issue, trying to squeeze hints out of Selig that might reveal on which side of the fence he sits. Seven claims that it was ultra-apparent that Selig was pissed and didn't want to be there. Thus, my other question to you is this: How can MLB's commissioner, a guy who floated into the job 15 years ago, a guy who has "no decided opinion" on Bonds/steroids -- yet has been in office for all of the steroids upheaval --, uphold the ban on Rose, a ruling that almost immediately killed the guy that made it and left the dead guy's successor feeling squrimish enough that he resigns?

C: Well, I think the biggest issue is that Selig is a nematode.

How can he, in good conscience -- hell, even bad conscience -- not just nut the fuck up and be there for Barry? He rode shotgun throughout the Steroid era, he colluded in Fehr's strike, he looks like a cross between Stephen Hawking and Hitler.

Everything Selig does, he does wrong: The tie at the All-Star game; pussyfooting around the obvious performance-enhancing drug issues in the sport he's supposedly watchdoggin'; making mealy-mouthed excuses about the same; installing a toothless drug enforcement plan and then preening about it -- everything. He is, as I said recently about Bernie Bickerstaff in an extraordinarily well-read HoG post, the anti-Midas. Whatever his leprositic mitts grab goes fecal.

And what's up with bitching about Giambi's big mouth and then pushing him to testify? I am at a serious loss to understand the inner workings of MLB's management. It's all reactive. They let problems fester until they're huge, pustulent boils and then try lancing 'em with a grapefruit spoon.

Oh, and yeah -- I think there's some Warren Commission shit going on with mysterious croaking of A. Bartlett. I hadn't really even ever thought about it until now...and suddenly...it just seems so reasonable...or maybe that's the ether.

B: Right. Ether will do that. Interesting Warren Commission reference. I dig it. What about the Rose celebration versus the upcoming Bonds one? Which is bigger, from the global baseball fan perspective?

C: Globally? Barry. He's a bigger "star," as it were. It's tough to compare because the era is so different. Who's to say Petey wouldn't have had his own reality show? But even as sport-crazy as we have been in this past century, we're at a place now where people are famous simply because they're famous, ala Paris Hilton. Barry's outsized melon is probably the most recognizable feature of American baseball to a worldwide audience, with a few specific exceptions in Japan and the Caribbean.

And the home run mark is seen as a bigger deal, I think. I personally don't think it is, by any stretch, but I think the roundball cognoscenti tend to believe in 755 as THE record. Eh. Sure, it's only been reached by two guys -- three, if you count Josh Gibson, which you should, even if no one does -- but as I've said before on the House, I think what Rose and Cobb did is more impressive overall.

Of course, since Hank Aaron also had something on the order of 3,800 hits -- exact number I'm too lazy to Google -- it's not hard to put The Hammer at the top of the all-time slugger pack, right ahead of Ted Williams and Willie Mays.

B: You touched on the exact point I was hoping you might. You're definitely right about Bonds being a bigger global baseball figure. From a nuts-and-bolts baseball fan perspective, though, the hit record is way huger. I know from our exchange here you didn't play a lot of baseball. I'm curious how much of the fundamentals -- the actual focus/vision, stance, grip, swing, feet positioning, weight shifting, follow through, etc. -- of hitting a baseball are stored in your noggin.

In 11 years of playing ball, no coach ever told me to go up there and crush one to deep left-center. No coach ever told any kid on any of my teams that. It was all about practicing good technique, seeing the bat hit the ball, making contact, and getting base hits. Now, if you're good at all of those things, homeruns will happen on occasion. Homerun, however, happens to start with the letter "h," as does hype, an idea we're cramming down the throats of all our sports and athletes. The NHL recently changed some of their rules to allow for more scoring. The NFL is constantly altering things like pass interference, which allows for big plays. The NBA has turned into an atrocious no-defense-playing dunk fest, and MLB prays that chicks will continue digging the long ball.

I say fooey on it all. The two-line pass in hockey meant you had to pass crisply and cleanly, not score more breakaway goals. In football, smash-mouth, nose-to-nose grinding was how guys like Dick Butkus and Larry Csonka became legends. Look at Magic, Kareem and Bird. They busted their buns up and down that court every night, and in baseball, getting on base was the fundamental to winning games. Thus, the accomplishments of Williams, Mays and company are always bigger than those of some Head that can't run.

C: And the shame of it is that the Head could run. He actually stole more than 50 bases on at least one occasion when he was with Pittsburgh, but let that all go for the bulk. As far as myself, I wasn't much of a hitter ever, even in my -- let's see, 7 years? 8 years? something like that -- of playing organized ball. I was a pretty good baserunner/stealer, but that had a lot more to do with the fact that catchers could barely reach second base with their throws at that age. In any case, swingin' for the fences was hardly my thing. I was all about contact. Frankly, it was usually all I could do to make contact. I haven't been to a batting cage in years. I should go and see how bad it's gotten.

Besides, in my experience, chicks often dig a shorter, more easily ignored ball.

B: Indeed they do. Keep us posted on those cage results.

Giamatti, Vincent, Jr. Leave Carbon Print a la Bush, Bush Jr.

2007-07-10T15:13:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I understand that yesterday’s interview with Dan Patrick was intense. Everybody wants to know your thoughts on Barry Bonds, and whether or not you plan to attend his record-breaking homerun. I’m one of those people, but I’d gladly settle for some other information instead.

What I would like to know is this: How has the ban on Pete Rose, a decision made by a man who would be dead nine days later, lasted this long? I have no reason to disrespect the late Mr. Giamatti. I’m curious as to the bizarreness of his creation of an assistant deputy commissioner position, his appointing of Fay Vincent, Jr. to that post, and Vincent’s immediate succession. I know there were unanimous votes involved, etc. It’s a very strange lineage of events, though.

Nevertheless, in comes Vincent, sailing on the momentum of pounding away at Pete Rose, and, three years later he resigns. Odd again. You, Mr. Selig, become chair of the Major League Executive Council and maintain that position for six years until your ultimate election to commissionership. And baseball, since that election, has gone through the roof. The strike-shortened season. Steroids is out of control, what with book publishings, congressional hearings, and guys ratting each other out. Revenue sharing, while a novel idea for the league, isn’t being used properly. The All-Star game determines home-field advantage in the World Series. There was a tie All-Star game. These are just a few of the hot topics spanning your tenure as baseball’s main man.

Yet Giamatti’s ban still stands. I don’t think it would be a disgrace to him if you lifted it. Have you spoken with Vincent about it? How can lifting it worsen baseball? Is this a battle of stubbornness? Is it a dual over something with one of the strangest track records in human existence? Let’s bury this issue once and for all. Take the right first step, Mr. Commissioner.

Help put Rose in Cooperstown.

The Annual Ray Fosse Recollection; or One More Reason to Vote Charlie In

2007-07-09T16:32:00.000-05:00

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-9800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Here we are. The All-Star break. When I was a kid, the All-Star game was one of the summer’s highlights. Seeing all the players from all of the teams together in their respective uniforms, playing for a common cause. It was always such a joy.

I don’t really feel that way as an adult. ESPN has over-hyped everything; it seems as if the Homerun Derby’s more important than the All-Star game. What’s worse is that you have zero regular baseball taking place for four days. Four days! Granted, it’s great that the players get the time off and the hopes of participating in the All-Star game, but it’s that time of the season when fans are really getting revved about the season and standings watching most (if not every) day.

The good part is that the wait is over before you know it. The wait for regular season baseball to resume that is.

There are many folks in the sports world that suggest that many bad things in baseball have happened on your watch. I’m not going to join them in this presumption, this opinion, this verbal crusade. I will, however, suggest that, right now, before your time as commissioner is up, you have the chance to produce a major positive, an astoundingly good thing (Note: I only agree with this columnist's ideas, not his lack of spellchecking/editing) for baseball.

Please, Mr. Commissioner. Un-ban Pete Rose. Baseball fans want to see him in. Ray Fosse wants to see him in. It’s the right thing to do for a game so subject to criticism and negative light. It’s hard, no, impossible, to think of the words “All-Star week” without an image of Rose illuminating in your mind’s eye. Make like a Spike Lee movie, sir. Do the right thing.

Acknowledged Errors Versus Perpetual Punishment

2007-07-06T12:37:00.000-05:00

July 6, 2007

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Two days from the date of this letter, my father, were he still around, would be turning 60. I, like many of my generation, owe my love for baseball, to my father. He taught me to hit, field and slide, but most important, he taught me to try hard in everything that I do.

The value in trying hard, and on occasion, hustling, became so engrained in my mind, that, as I matured, I knew my dad, a man of many good qualities, would never be disappointed in me as long as he knew that I tried. That said, he, like the rest of us, had his share of faults. When he died though, those faults were not what people remembered, and the faults are far from what people are reminded of when they think of him today. His loved ones recognize that all people, no matter how good at heart, make mistakes.

I posit that Pete Rose is no different. He made mistakes. He furthered his mistakenness by trying to bury his errors. In life, as we all well know, you’re allowed second chances, sometimes more.

I am of the firm belief that holding a lifetime ban from baseball over Pete Rose is a poor message for the youth of today. We’re all certain of the magnitude Rose’s on-the-field accomplishments, but very few know of the good things he did off the field; his name is tarnished by his poor decisions. Is that how we want our young baseball fans of today and tomorrow to view their own lives?

Absolutely not. Pete Rose, when his time on Earth has ended, should not be remembered for his bad judgment, but for what he stood for as an athlete, a role model for American youth.

Hasn’t the man suffered enough? He deserves to be enshrined, and you wield the power to make that happen. It’s time we looked at the other side of the coin, Mr. Commissioner. Please. Lift the ban.

Routine Grounders and the Big Papiesque Laziness That Follows

2007-07-05T14:01:00.000-05:00

July 5, 2007

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

Last night’s game was, though the home team got shutout, a blast. Among the things my wife and I discussed were: the difference between the windup and the stretch (again); how not to try and force your mitt closed when catching a ball (we tossed it around in the lot prior to the game, in a light rain, mind you); why left-handed hitters struggle against left-handed pitchers (righty vs. righty, too); and why even guys we really like, like Mark Teahen, don’t run full steam down the base path on every routine infield grounder.

Teahen was thrown out at first last night, when Seattle’s third baseman made, after bobbling, a nice cross-body delivery. Milliseconds after the first baseman’s mitt closed around the ball, Teahen’s left foot touched the home-plate side of the bag, and he went nary an inch further toward right field.

I turned to my wife and asked her if she could name one guy that would’ve been safe on that exact same play based on hustle versus natural speed, and she answered me correctly.

Pete Rose.

There were hundreds, if not thousands (announced attendance: 27,497) of kids at the stadium last night. I loathe thinking of them asking their parents why hitters don’t try harder when they run to first. I also relish in the joy of a father turning to his son on their trip to Cooperstown and saying, “That guy, son. Right there. Number 14. That’s Charlie Hustle. He would’ve been safe on that Fourth-of-July groundout by Teahen.”

I’m not suggesting that un-banning Rose from baseball results in all big leaguers across the board trying harder. That would be asinine. However, it might have an effect on some. Isn’t that worth something? Please, Mr. Commissioner. For the kids. Lift the ban.

Hot Dogs, Fireworks, and Beer... oh, and Pete Rose in Cooperstown

2007-07-04T12:46:00.000-05:00

July 4, 2007

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

This evening, my wife and I will take in our second Royals game of the season, and hope for a sweep of the baffled Mariners. Our first game was opening day, our first opening day, to boot. It may seem odd that, at the halfway point of the season, we’re only journeying to “the K” for our second time, but we’ve had a busy spring with things like my graduation, our wedding/honeymoon, a move, etc. Not to mention the fact that she’s in school.

Luckily, thanks to her dad, she grew up a Royals fan. Like football games we watch, she still has a lot to learn about the game, but she’s always eager for the knowledge, and glad to learn it from me. When I tell her about my last game with my late father (Cal Ripken, Jr’s last at Kauffman), I long for the importance of that monumental experience to flow from me into her, for her to experience it vicariously.

I hope for our unborn children to be baseball fans, and it would be great to have my wife and her knowledge paired with mine so that we can be great teachers of the game.

In my estimation, the necessary tools for such education are not all present without Pete Rose in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Pete Rose goes with baseball the way the Fourth of July goes with American families and potato salad. Please consider lifting the ban. Think about Canadian parents spending time with their children on Canada Day. Imagine them telling stories of life as a hockey fan and not being able to use the words “Wayne” or “Gretzky”. Pete Rose, America, and Cooperstown. That has a nice ring to it.

Opening Letter

2007-07-03T12:50:00.000-05:00

July 3, 2007

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-7800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:

I’m writing to you as a lifelong fan of the game of baseball, Major League Baseball and the Kansas City Royals. Baseball is again on the rise in our country. I think many fans’ wounds are healing from the soured experience of the strike-shortened season of 1994. Folks are accepting the revenue sharing, and developing a small understanding of the astronomical financial situations within the game. These are but few of the issues your league deals with on a daily basis. Athlete behavior both on and off the field, manager personality quirks and slip-ups, speculations of performance-enhancement usage are all topics that swirl media outlets. None of these, however, are the reason for my letter.

I believe that, all hometown dreams and biases aside, there is one figure that set the bar for my appreciation of the game as a child, a measuring stick I still hold firm today. That figure is none other than Pete Rose.

Perhaps a tired topic for you and your colleagues, but most folks don’t care that he bet on baseball; most folks are aware that other former MLB athletes bet on baseball throughout their careers. Most folks know that Rose can be a jerk, that he spent far too much time lying when he could’ve simply told the truth.

I say, let the errors of this man be a thing of the past. Give baseball the push that could send it over the edge in this time of resurgence. Unban the man. At least make him eligible. No single figure -- not even George Brett -- has had a greater influence on my view of how the game should be played. I posit there are many others out there that feel the same. The things he is guilty of are small apples compared to some of the happenings in the National Football League and the National Basketball Association.

I beg you to consider at least taking the first step. Let today’s and tomorrow’s kids see Rose’s name in the record books, in Cooperstown.

2007-07-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

2007-07-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

2007-07-02T14:17:00.000-05:00