What To Make of Pete Rose Today?

Pete Rose is practically a human Rorschach test. How a person feels about Charlie Hustle—from his all-out style on the field, to his propensity to gamble on his own team (among many others), to his seemingly quixotic quest for reinstatement and thus, potentially, a spot in Cooperstown—is illustrative of overarching views about sports and perhaps life writ large. The fierce battle over whether Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame reflects how we feel about morality, integrity, guilt, and legacy.