MLB Character Clause is a Cop Out for Keeping Pete Rose out of the Hall

Pete Rose has done himself no favors since being banned from baseball for betting on games when he was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He’s never shown much genuine contrition for what he did and he still hangs around Las Vegas, failing to distance himself from the gambling scene. For someone who wants as badly as he says he does to be voted into the Hall of Fame, he doesn’t act like it. Whether or not baseball’s all-time hits leader should be in the Hall of Fame is a legitimate matter of debate. But the rationale baseball continues to use to keep him out, the so-called “character clause”, is a total cop out.

Unlike other major professional sports in the United States, baseball specifically mentions aspects unrelated to playing in what qualifies people for the sport’s Hall of Fame. Part of the election rules state, “…voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.” First of all, it seems like that was written with a player’splaying careerin mind, doesn’t it? Well, Pete didn’t get busted betting on games as a player, he got busted as a coach. Is it impossible to imagine he bet on games as a player too? Not at all. But there isn’t significant proof of that at this point.

In all of this, it’s important to remember that being banned from MLB is not what is keeping Charlie Hustle out of the Hall of Fame. It’s the character clause. Theoretically, the Hall of Fame could independently allow Rose to be eligible. But the Hall has made it clear they’re not going to take any action on it unless Rose gets reinstated. Now, let’s choose to read the character clause the way it’s apparently being interpreted in Pete’s case: that anything you do on or off the field can affect your eligibility for the Hall of Fame. If that’s the case, why are we having the Curt Schilling debate? Surely, his hateful rhetoric on social media and elsewhere has done more net harm than Pete Rose’s gambling addiction.

It goes without saying that countless Hall of Famers from long ago don’t have the best personal record when it comes to race relations. The Hall of Fame can’t use the character clause only when it’s convenient to them. In this case, it’s convenient because they don’t have to create conflict with Major League Baseball and also don’t have to take “blame” for keeping Pete Rose out. And we haven’t even gotten to the Steroid Era guys.

It’s also a matter of debate whether or not steroid users belong in the Hall of Fame. But it’s not a matter of debate (apparently) whether or not they belong on the ballot. Are we really saying that steroid users had good sportsmanship? They knowingly took products that helped them improve over their competition and inevitably lost dozens of players their jobs because they weren’t cheating to keep up. If we’re reading the character clause consistently for all players, either Steroid Era guys are left off the ballot with Pete Rose, or they’re all included. Whether or not the writers are keeping the Steroid Era guys out anyway, you can’t have it both ways.

With Pete Rose less than a year from turning 80 years old, it seems more likely than not that he will not be inducted into the Hall of Fame in his lifetime. Perhaps a tide of support will build to the point that he’s finally allowed to be featured in Cooperstown, but it seems more likely than ever he will be inducted posthumously, if at all. Baseball doesn’t seem keen on letting Rose steal the show on any Hall of Fame weekend as if his mere presence will taint the experience for everyone. If that’s how baseball feels, fine. Rose has done a lot to earn his bad reputation. But the hypocrisy needs to stop.

Get rid of the character clause entirely and be on level footing with the rest of American professional sports. We’re not fooling anybody. There have been a lot of great men to play baseball and excel to the point of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. There have been a lot of bad men to do the same. A Hall of Fame museum should feature the men who help tell the story of the sport regardless of which of the two camps they fall into. Whether he’s a good guy or not, it’s very difficult to tell the story of the game without telling the story of the sport’s all-time hit king.