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RalphDefinition

Page history last edited by PBworks 18 years, 1 month ago

What is a “Hall-of-Famer?”

Imagine yourself walking through winding hallways of tradition, observing displays of memorabilia, and soaking up an atmosphere that is saturated with history. The presence of the men we call legends, who defined and made great the sport known as America’s Past-time, can be felt as one meanders through Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. What qualifies an athlete to leave an indelible effect upon the game, permanently changing and defining the game for future generations? What makes these men worthy of such an honor as immortality? What makes an athlete a “hall-of-famer?” These men are often considered the perfect role model for children, especially those who aspire to play the game of baseball. Are the footsteps of these players those that we want younger generations in our society to follow? Steroid controversies, illegal drug use, violence, alcoholism, gambling and sex are all major issues in sports today, baseball specifically. With the exception of a very select few, baseball players are NOT good role models for children. This however does not lessen their athleticism and on-the-field accomplishments. An athlete should be determined a hall-of-famer based on his athletic accomplishments ON the field, not for the quality of person they are off the field.

Hard-work is not only essential to athletes, but dedication to one’s profession is important to success in any field. A player dubbed “Charlie Hustle,” who put forth maximum effort on every single play for his entire career, had the dedication and drive to succeed. After 24 seasons in the major leagues, this man had amassed 19 Major League records. This man is Pete Rose. He has more hits than anybody else in major league history, has played in more games than anybody, has scored more runs than anybody (national league), and hit more doubles than any other player (national league). Despite all these accomplishments and being widely regarded as one of the best players in MLB history, Pete Rose is not included in the Hall of Fame. This injustice has been brought about as a result of his gambling upon baseball, while coaching and playing for the Reds. This gambling included bets being place on the Reds themselves, however Rose always betted for his team, not against them. After years of unproven accusations, Rose finally admitted to his stints of gambling in 2004. A lifetime ban from baseball was agreed and implemented upon Rose. This includes his banishment from the Hall of Fame. The people who have opposed Pete Rose in his quest to gain admission into the Hall, such as current MLB commissioner Bud Selig, and former commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, in no way think that Pete Rose’s athletic accomplishments are not worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. They feel however, that Rose is not suitable for entrance due to his gambling, which is an off-the-field issue. The definition of a hall-of-famer should be solely based on qualifications athletically, this isn’t the personality and good-will hall of fame.

To gain a broader view of Hall of Fame induction standards, one must only go as far as the man whom Pete Rose surpassed for most hits in Major League history, Ty Cobb. Ty Cobb is one of the most accomplished players to ever grace a baseball diamond. He was also the first man ever inducted into the baseball hall of fame. So what kind of person represents the first man to ever be inducted? The following quote was taken from a biographical website on Ty Cobb. “Perhaps the most defining aspect of Cobb's personality was his racism. Although he grew up in a time and place where behavior like his was common and accepted, it is extremely appalling to most people today. He simply felt that blacks were inferior and would never receive the same treatment from him that whites did.” Hardly an attribute that one would want as the poster child for the Hall of Fame. However, one might argue that this characteristic of Cobb was his personality, and involved no actions, like Rose’s case. The following are actual incidents that took place during Ty Cobb’s life and playing career. One day while walking in Detroit, Cobb stepped in freshly poured asphalt, and was yelled at by a black construction worker, who Cobb proceeded to slap and throw to the ground. Cobb then walked away. Another incident even called for Cobb to flee to Canada to avoid arrest in 1909. Cobb got into an argument with the elevator operator of a hotel, and hit the man. When the night manager of the hotel came to aid the operator (the manager happened to be black) Cobb began to verbally abuse the man, who pulled his nightstick out and struck Cobb to keep him under control. In response, Cobb drew his knife and slashed the worker. The fight was soon broken up. Another incident took place when a fan who continually berated Cobb took to racial slurs. This sent Cobb over the edge and he ran into the stands and started to beat the man. All of these incidents led to various criminal charges and suits, which Cobb often settled outside of court. All these examples are proof, that Ty Cobb was not the greatest person in the world, but he was still one of the greatest baseball players to ever live. He is not deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize, but he did deserve admittance into the Hall of Fame, and he was as previously stated the first man ever to be voted in.

Baseball has gone through many controversies in the past. All-star caliber pitcher Doc Ellis admits that he never pitched a game in his life without being under the influence of drugs. He even pitched a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD. Recent tests have proven that steroids is a problem running rampant throughout the league. If use of performance altering drugs was proven for some player then his accomplishments indeed should be looked upon in a lesser light and his admittance into the hall of fame should be very unlikely. Yet players accomplishments are still counted, their stats are still put into the books, and despite severe criticism, the world of baseball marches on. These personal problems are ones that indeed must be given attention, however, if the violations are off the field problems and did not affect the performance of the athlete, then they should not affect the admittance process. This standard was set long ago with the first man ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ty Cobb, and it should not change. The definition of a “Hall of Famer” began as a PERFORMANCE based evaluation, and should remain that way forever.

 

{Okay. Though the conclusion probably should say something about Pete Rose!}

 

Works Cited

N/A. The Pete Rose HomePage. www.PeteRose.com

 

N/A. Official Site of Major League Baseball. www.MLB.com

 

N/A. Wikipedia Online Sources. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Rose

 

N/A. Ty Cobb, The HomePage. www.TyCobb.com

 

N/A. Baseball Library Online. www.Baseball/Library.docellis

 

N/A. Offical Site of ESPN. www.espn.go.com

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