Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Baseball has a new good guy.

Or at least the prospect to be one.

On Jan. 25, Major League Baseball placed commissioner duties on the shoulders of Rob Manfred, a Harvard Law graduate and the driver of the committee that investigated the Biogenesis steroids scandal.

Not only that, but upon taking the helm as the chief decision-maker of our nation’s pastime, Manfred stated that he hopes to improve the pace of the game, embrace technology and create more youth outreach.

He made these proposals at his introduction ceremony.

His predecessor, old man Bud Selig, barely had his wrinkly behind out the door when hot-shot Manfred started making tidal waves right off the bat. Finally, somebody is trying to make baseball fun again.

Manfred looks as if he is going to make us an offer we cannot refuse...

This is a great start, but I have one concrete suggestion for the new commissioner: make Pete Rose eligible for the Hall of Fame.

For those of you who don’t know, Rose is baseball’s all-time hits leader with 4,256. That’s more than Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have combined.

He is currently banned from Major League Baseball for gambling on MLB games while he was playing and managing.

Should Rose have been punished for his actions? Absolutely.

Should he be shunned for the rest of his life? No way.

How could you say no to that mug?

The last time Rose was a member of the MLB community was 1989. That was 26 years ago. What, did he murder somebody?

There are probably criminals who have been sentenced 25 years to life in prison and granted their full pardon since the last time anyone saw Rose on a baseball field.

Come on, gambling does not warrant a life-sentence. Even if it did, Rose would be due reinstatement for good behavior.

Roses are red, bruises are blue, looks like this guy might have had a few.

Rose recently said that he would love to talk with Manfred about his potential reinstatement. He isn’t asking to be placed in the Hall of Fame, but rather to be become eligible to be voted in just like every other player.

"Let the writers decide. If they want me in, I’m in," Rose said in an interview with USA Today. "If they don’t feel I should be in, I can live with it."

Manfred even said that he would be open to the idea of allowing Rose to be on the ballot, but has yet to act on those words.

Does somebody need to beg him?

Does Princess Leia have to show up in a Cincinnati Reds jersey and say, "Help us, Commissioner Manfred. You’re our only hope…"

Princess Leia of Alderaan, huge Reds fan.

This is it, the chance to let a legend find his way home. He’s been wandering around in Hall of Fame purgatory for almost three decades.

Look, every rose has its thorn. That doesn’t mean you pluck it from the ground and forget it ever bloomed.