Pete Rose was supposed to appear at the IronPigs game on Father's Day to sign autographs and throw out the first pitch. He's not now, because it violates his "Lifetime Ban." Rose had voluntarily agreed to that ban to avoid having the Commissioner's office find that he had bet on baseball. At the time he denied betting on baseball, but now he admits it, although only on his own team to win, not the other way around. His ban stands.
At this time, it probably would make better sense for both sides to just drop it. Yes, literally, drop it. They should drop the agreement to the ban, find that he did bet on baseball, and suspend him from ever again working in baseball. Make him eligible for a Hall-of-Fame vote, let him appear at Reds and Phillies functions, and allow him to profit off of his amazing on-the-field career. End the all-out ban. Don't ever let him work for a team again.
The current punishment doesn't make sense anymore. It wasn't as bad back then, when at least the Commissioner could say Rose was in denial on reality, but now there's no real point to it. The greatest hitter of his day, maybe of any day, can't even appear at a AAA affiliate's game of one of the teams he won a World Series ring with. All that really gets hurt by that is the fans. It's time for a punishment that makes sense for what Rose did. I think we're all far enough away from the events to go for that.
