COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. _ Pete Rose sat less than a block away from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, at Safe at Home Ballpark Collectibles, autographing baseballs and meeting fans on Friday, though removed from this weekend's induction ceremonies. During a lull, he began working on another carton of balls, these with a different message: "I'm sorry I bet on baseball," he wrote in clear blue block letters.
Rose has been selling those balls for years, and they're sold online for about $100 to $200 now. He's still contrite, he said, and though he's quick with a smile and witty retort, Rose seemingly has moved toward a Zen-like acceptance of life in baseball purgatory. He's one of the best to ever wear the uniform but is banned from baseball and enshrinement into the Hall because he gambled on games he played in and managed. It's been cut and dry for years, though perhaps more nuanced now that Major League Baseball has waded into the gambling waters: In 2018, MLB named MGM Resorts its official gaming partner. It was the first time the league had entered into a gambling partnership.
Rose doesn't think this means baseball will change its mind about him, though.
