Acknowledged Errors Versus Perpetual Punishment

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.