Despite years of being denied entry into the Hall of Fame, major league baseball’s all-time hits leader says he holds no ill will towards Commissioner Bud Selig. IPR'S Jeff Bossert has more on Pete Rose’s visit to Urbana:
Rose was banned from the game in 1989 due to gambling, but says he hasn’t given up on Selig. Rose says he likes the commissioner, and doesn’t believe Selig’s 2014 retirement is a good thing just for his sake.
The record setter known as ‘Charlie Hustle’ calls Selig a fair man, noting the commissioner has a tough job:
“It’s a tough job being a commissioner, and surprised that he’s lasted even this long, because there’s got to be a lot of sleepless nights, and he’s done a good job. The playoff system is really working, and he’s trying to clean up the world of baseball as far as drugs, so I take my hat off to him.”
Rose says he doesn’t like to harp on the issue of steroids… saying the positives in the game outweigh stories like that of Alex Rodriguez:
“There’s too many good positive stories that we have to waste time on A-Rod, and he’s suing baseball today. Who’s he going to sue tomorrow? A-Rod is a friend of mine, but enough is enough.”
Rose says he can’t blame anyone else for his mistakes, but says he’d be the happiest guy in the world if given another shot at Cooperstown. He was in Urbana Friday raising funds for the Tom Jones Challenger League which provides baseball facilities to handicapped children.