Major League Baseball will take a break from games for a few days this week to celebrate its all-stars in Cincinnati. The Ohio city is, of course, home to the Reds, the team Pete Rose spent 19 seasons playing for.
It has been confirmed Rose will be at Tuesday’s All-Star game and on the field for pregame festivities. It was always unlikely Rose would be frozen out from the game and his presence will once again put the spotlight on his betting on baseball and subsequent lifetime ban for doing so.
Among those who feel Rose is getting just what he deserves is Tommy Lasorda. The former Dodgers manager and ambassador wasn’t shy about voicing his opinion on the matter, despite the fact he and Rose are friends.
“You have got to be out,” Lasorda told the Los Angeles Times. “He has got to be suspended for life. I’m not afraid to come out and say it. Pete and I are friends. But he did something wrong, and it was terrible.”
“If you are stupid enough to go out and bet on your own team and bet on baseball, there has got to be something wrong. If my brother did it, I’d say the same thing.”
For years, Rose maintained that he never bet on games as a player. However, last month, ESPN uncovered documents stating the contrary. Rose applied for reinstatement and commissioner Rob Manfred said earlier this year it would be considered. That was before the ESPN report though, which likely closed the door for good of Rose’s allowance back into the game.
That said, for a few hours this week, Rose will be part of a celebration of baseball’s best players, a game he was named to 17 times.
