“People have done worse”: Former Mets manager reacts to Pete Rose’s absence from the Hall Of Fame

The former Philadelphia Phillies alum Pete Rose was popular for his multi-talented approach to the baseball game. The late MLB icon not only served as an infielder but also as a managerial head during his stint with the Cincinnati Reds. Recently, the former New York Yankees manager Buck Showalter reacted to Pete Rose’s absence from the Hall of Fame list.
During a recent appearance on Outkick’s Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich, 68-year-old former New York Mets manager Buck Showalter spoke about Pete Rose. The MLB legend and managerial head even pointed out what really disturbed was the absence of the legendary athlete’s name from the Baseball Hall of Fame. The four-time manager of the year, Showalter, said:
"You know, I’ve seen the reasons why [Rose should get in]. There’s a lot of byproducts to this. It’s not as simple as going, ‘He bet on his own team and the time has come that we forgive, and people have done worse that are in there.’ I got that."

Showalter further explained:
"But understand the reason. I know as a manager if I’m betting on the game that night, Dan, I may put too many good feet forward to try and win that game and not worry about tomorrow’s game as much. You know where I’m getting at? I think there’s a cause and effect on everything where you can say you’re going to do it, but having something on that game affects a lot of things."
He even mentioned that it was difficult to believe that Rose was not considered a candidate for the Hall of Fame. The former Yankees manager said,
"At what point do we go, ‘OK, forgive, and let’s move on.’ I mean, it’s hard to believe that our Hall of Fame doesn’t have Pete in it, and I think he served enough sentences, so to speak, and people that are so negative about it might want to look in their own backyard. None of us would like to have our lives judged by our worst decision, that’s for sure."

Reportedly, Pete Rose had faced a ban for a lifetime back in 1989 due to his involvement in gambling. A National League MVP suffered one of the biggest setbacks of his life when he came under the scanner for the gambling charges. Even after the lawsuit, he applied for reinstatement in 2020 and 2022, respectively, but his proposal was denied by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred both times.