The never-ending Pete Rose saga still won’t end.

MLB commissioner Rod Manfred removed Rose (alongside Shoeless Joe Jackson and other members of the 1919 White Sox) from the ineligible list, setting the table for Rose to join the Hall of Fame ballot posthumously.

For some, it’s long overdue. For others, it’s an eye roll. For baseball, it’s a cowards way out of making a real decision. With Rose deceased, the headlines and news cycle benefits only the game, not him.

For me? Here’s where I’ve landed over the years on the Rose debate.

At first, like I’m sure many others, I was a “put Rose in the Hall of Fame!” guy. He’s the all-time hit king. He was Charlie Hustle. He helped get the Phillies over the hump. He was a true baseball guy. How could you have a Hall of Fame without Rose?

But my opinion changed.

When I read his book, My Prison Without Bars, I was blown away with how, well, unintelligent Rose came across. He just lacked total self awareness in everything that he did. He was a degenerate, and a totally unlikable guy. If the book was written to gain him public favor, it was a total miss.

Obviously, those personality characteristics didn’t fade as years went on. They just became more enhanced. I think current Rose supporters don’t really want to bang the table for Pete himself. They want the idea of Rose to live on. They want to celebrate stats, numbers and the platonic idea of how the game should be played.

But this fact stands, and shouldn’t be missed: Rose cheated. He bet on baseball. He did the one thing you can’t do. And spare me the “he only bet on his own team!” nonsense. Do you really buy that Rose, one of the all-time liars in sports, didn’t lie about that too? There wasn’t a stray night here or there in which he knew his regulars were tired, banged up or his pitcher didn’t have much in the tank? Come on. Be real.

And even if he only bet on his own team, there’s something inherently wrong in that. If you are going “all in” to win on a random Tuesday, you could be hurting your team the next day.

Rose is unlikable. He was his own worst enemy. He cheated the game. He lied. He’s no longer even here to enjoy a special day. Creating an artificial induction now just for positive press is a waste of everyone’s time.

Rose should not be in the Hall of Fame.

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