Pete Rose: Sinner or Saint?

Synonymous with the game of baseball, Pete Rose's name will, for a long time to come, be etched into the minds and hearts of Cincinnatians.

Whether its due to his record breaking 1985 home run which marked 4,192, surpassing Ty Cobb to become baseball's career leader in hits or the fact that four years later, he was permanently ejected from the game which brought him so much fame; you either love the guy to death, or wish that he would crawl under a rock.

The latter sentiment is mostly due to fact that exactly 2o years ago today, on Aug. 23, 1989, Pete Rose signed an agreement banning him from baseball after a long investigation which came to the conclusion hat Rose made wagers on the outcome of baseball games, which to this day he denies.

In today's Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Reds historian John Erardi speaks on whether Rose will be remembered for his on-the-field glory or his off-the-field shenanigans.

I say Pete should just "man up" and confess to the verdict.

It takes a lot of back room dealings and cover ups to be mistakenly accused of illegal gambling. Even if it is true that he never actually gambled on a game, he was too close to the action for it to be perceived otherwise.

Maybe if he came clean, the powers that be would show a little bit of mercy and let him return to being a part of the game of baseball. That's his best bet.