The MLB's all-time leader in hits, Pete Rose, expressed his thoughts on the 2013 Hall of Fame class going empty for the first time in 17 years. Rose said it's "kind of sad" that nobody was chosen.
If anybody knows about not getting picked, it's Rose who tarnished his career after infamously betting on baseball games as an active member of the baseball family.
Rose was interviewed by FOX and he held no thoughts back, "There's a lot of great players that were on the ballot. And Craig Biggio, the first player on the first ballot since 1945 with 3,000 hits not to make the Hall of Fame. Of course, I believe that Mike Piazza is probably the greatest offensive catcher in the history of baseball, only got over 50%. Johnny Bench is the best catcher in the history of baseball, but Piazza has all the record for catchers as far as offensively."
Biggio received 68 percent of votes, the highest of any player in this year's ballot.
Rose is disappointed and laments that no players were picked because he understands the financial importance Hall of Fame induction week has on businesses up in Cooperstown, "But it's sad because we have a lot of friends in Cooperstown who own stores and they kind of thrive on that week, Hall of Fame week to survive for the year, and I don't know what kind of induction weekend it's going to be now because there's no induction [of living players]."
As Rose also points out, induction will be tougher for these guys from the steroid era as Gregg Maddux and Tom Glavine become eligible and will form part of the ballot in 2014. They are almost guaranteed picks. "Next year as you know, or you may not know, you've got Maddux and you've got Frank Thomas and you've got Jeff Kent, Glavine, a lot of good nominees for next year."
Rose still has hope of entering the Hall of Fame. He admits he understands where he failed and hopes the fans know this. Rose said the decision lies in commissioner Bud Selig's hands.
Rose is the all-time hits leader with 4,256 and was being mentioned constantly in 2012 as Melky Cabrera, a recent controversial MLB figure, was tearing up baseball and on pace to reach a feat not even Rose had accomplished before his PEDs suspension.
