Analyst Pete Rose Returns to Baseball, Hall of Fame Vote Possible

Major League Baseball's hits leader has been banished from baseball for long enough. This year, Pete Rose returns to baseball, albeit in a studio being an analyst. The longtime-banned former Cincinnati Reds player and manager is a baseball legend, but because of gambling has been blackballed from the game for more than 25 years. Rose bet on his team while he was manager, which according to MLB rules, brings a permanent ban from the game, including a ban on Hall of Fame eligibility. With the Baseball Writers of America also informally banning players tied into the steroid era, a vote to now include Rose in the Hall seems more possible than ever.

The all-time hits leader's return from the abyss has him sitting in the Fox Sports 1 studio with other baseball minds to discuss the game. Rose is still very passionate about baseball especially when it comes to his record of career hits. That topic brought up conversation on the show about his feelings towards the honor says Fox Sports:

"No, I don't want (the record) to be broken. I'm going to die as the hit king, because there's nobody who can beat my record while I'm alive. Once I'm gone, I really don't give a damn if someone beats my record."

It's hard to think that with having those hitting records being accomplished as a player, he should get banned for life from the HOF because of his mistakes as a manager. Players who have taken performance enhancing drugs and changed the game in between the foul lines are eligible for induction into the hall, but not Charlie Hustle. The New York Daily News has MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's cryptic take on Rose:

"(Manfred) doesn't accept the analogy between gambling and steroids."

Rose will be on hand for the All Star weekend in Cincinnati this year, hopefully with more traction towards Hall of Fame eligibility.

Do you think Rose should be eligible for the Hall of Fame? Do you think Rose has been a valuable addition as a commentator? Tell us what your thoughts below.