One way in which Rose performed exceptionally was in his attitude towards the game. Rose was extraordinary in his mental approach, always trying to improve. To quote one his minor league coaches about Rose’s play style, “If he got two hits, he wanted three. Get three hits, he wanted four. He kept coming at them, coming at them, never stopped” (A). Rose was insatiable on the field, always striving to become the best at his craft. This attitude was also optimal for Rose leading his teammates, and allowed him to become a competent leader on the field: “Rose’s aggression was infectious, a constant spur to his teammates to try and match it” (A). These traits of aggression and competitiveness aided Rose with becoming an admirable player, one which others look to as a model of success.Along with the intangible traits that Rose possessed, his stats also speak tremendously for his achievements. After finishing career, Rose was one of the most decorated professional baseball players of all time. Rose received many awards for both his offensive and defensive skills; these include the Rookie of the Year award in 1963, seventeen All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves and three batting titles, one most valuable player award, and three World Series victories. In addition to these accolades, Rose to this day …show more content…
While this vote total is not enough for him to actually be inducted, the fact that he is on the ballot in the first place seems hypocritical compared to Rose’s massive ban. Bond’s career statistics, which were heavily influenced by steroids, overshadow those who achieved just as great things without the illegal help, such as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. The same holds true for such as Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire, who both admitted to using PED’s during their careers; they received 202 and 63 votes for the Hall of Fame, respectively. Also, another major baseball scandal comes to mind when considering Rose’s ban. The Black Sox scandal, in which eight Chicago White Sox threw the 1919 World Series, is widely considered the most infamous scandal in baseball history (E). The players involved in this illegal maneuver were banned from the game, the same fate which Rose faced for his gambling. Rose, whose gambling did not directly affect the outcome of any of his performances or games, was handed the same punishment of those who purposefully lost on the biggest stage of baseball for a bribe. In comparison, Rose’s punishment for his much less heinous infraction is disproportionately