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.
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