Pete SHOULD be reinstated. He didn't kill anybody (hello Ty Cobb), he didn't have a dozen drug infractions (hello Steve Howe and Darryl Strawberry) and he only lied about breaking the rules..... er.... wait that didn't come out right. Regardless, I think the All-time Hits leader deserves to be reinstated. Had he ever bet on his own team to LOSE then I'd be all for kicking him in the nuts for eternity. But Pete wanted to win more than he wanted money - he'd never bet against his own team.

As for Buck Weaver: he should have been reinstated a long time ago. He didn't take any cash or try to throw any games - he just kept his mouth shut. The case for Joe Jackson is trickier.

Shoeless Joe took the cash, basically falling into the category of betting against himself. By my above definition, he should be getting kicked in the balls for eternity for that. But you can't look at his performance and see anything that would lead you to believe that he threw the 1919 World Series. He hit the only home run of the series (in the dead-ball era, mind you - so it wan't like he was trying to hit a pop-up and it made it out by accident) and had a perfect fielding pecentage. And let's remember that ball players back then (in a total opposite from today) barely made a living wage and Charles Comisky was a well-noted cheapskate. For chrissake, Shoeless Joe has the third highest batting average EVER at .356. There are guys who go their whole lives never having hit 300 for a season. GOOD GOD, HE BATTED .408 HIS ROOKIE YEAR!! Pete and Buck are no brainers for reinstatement, but if you want a challenge, look over the case of Shoeless Joe one more time.

Mike, one question: How do you know Rose never bet on his own team to lose?

He's a liar. I'll never believe him again. Keep the ban.

I don't know that he didn't - but they have yet to find any evidence of it. I never was under the illusion that Pete didn't bet on baseball or even his own team. But I do believe that he would never bet on his own team to lose. Like I said - Pete wanted to win ALL the time. All the evidence supports his claim that he never bet on the Reds to lose, and as long as that's true I say lift the ban. However, if it comes to light that he even once bet on his own team to lose and threw a game I say string the bastard up by his toes.

With Petey, it's always all about the Benjamins.