Pete Rose documentary on HBO/Max 😬

[molenick]

I think David is a real person whose vocabulary, sentence structure, thought process, and topics raised are not what is usually encountered on Net54.

I don't think "nice guy in" "bad guy out" should be used as HOF guidance. Sure, statistics are not the only criteria, but at least that is something measurable. Not sure how we would measure "nice guy" and whether nice guy means nice to fans, the press, his teammates, etc.

R.A. Dickey was known for being a nice guy but he was not a HOF level player. Same for Adam Jones (yes, I asked AI to tell me who the nice guys in baseball were). It seems like Harold Baines being a nice guy helped him get in and most people think he was a bad choice. Frankie Frisch thought his teammates were nice guys and that lead to some questionable selections. What about people whose public image contrasted with their alleged private life (such as Kirby Puckett)?

It's already hard enough judging people on statistics, I don't want voters to start evaluating them as a person. And, sure, statistics are not perfect and are open to interpretation, but I think we know at this point that Home Run Baker's slash line of .307/.363/.442/.805 is more HOF-worthy than Freddie Lindstrom's similar .311/.351/.449/.800 because we take it in the context of the eras they played in.

My take on Pete Rose is not based on whether he was a nice guy, or even a moral guy. I don't think he should be in because he broke the most essential rule of baseball...not only betting on games, but betting on games where he was an active participant. Of course, statistically he should be in.

Also, I don't like the "fame" argument. Deion Sanders was famous, Bo Belinsky was famous (at least in his time), Mark Fidrych was famous, Mitch Williams was famous, etc. I think "Hall of Fame" was just a phrase that was used at the time to denote the "best of the best" and not something that meant you should get in based on how famous you are.

If we are going to be literal about it, then George Hall and Mel Hall should be in (those were the best players named Hall I could find).