Kepner: Pete Rose: 4,256 hits and one big error
From Tyler Kepner at the New York Times on March 25, 2015, with mention of SABR member Fay Vincent:
Mike Schmidt and Paul Molitor watched an exhibition game Monday from opposite dugouts here at the Philadelphia Phillies’ spring training camp. Historically, they belong to the same team, as Hall of Famers with plaques in Cooperstown, N.Y. But on an issue that divides so many in baseball, Schmidt and Molitor disagree.
, the career hits leader, has applied for reinstatement to Major League Baseball, which barred him for life in 1989 for gambling on games played by the Cincinnati Reds, the team he was managing. Rose’s request will be reviewed by the new commissioner, Rob Manfred, who succeeded in January.
Selig never ruled on the Rose case, effectively upholding the agreement Rose had signed under Commissioner Bart Giamatti, who died of a heart attack eight days later. Fay Vincent, who served between Giamatti and Selig, believes Manfred will not bring Rose back.
“I really don’t think it’s very difficult at all, and I don’t think Manfred is going to think of it as very difficult,” Vincent said in a telephone interview. “He’s going to think of it only in baseball terms.”
Read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/24/sports/baseball/pete-roses-statistics-4256-hits-and-a-big-error.html
Originally published: March 25, 2015. Last Updated: March 25, 2015.