Pete Rose already in the Hall of Fame, just not a Hall of Famer

Jesse Spector

Pete Rose already in the Hall of Fame, just not a Hall of Famer image

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — So, you want Pete Rose to be in the Hall of Fame? Guess what, he’s already here.

OK, Rose does not have a plaque, and if he stays on baseball’s ineligible list, he never will, but the game’s shrine is more than just a room full of plaques. It is the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and Rose is well represented on the floors above the plaque gallery.

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Among artifacts commemorating the all-time hits leaders career are a jersey and helmet from his days with the Big Red Machine, and his jersey from his days with the Phillies, specifically the day that Rose broke Stan Musial’s record for hits in the National League.

The all-time home run king, also denied a plaque? Barry Bonds still does harbor hopes for induction, but in the meantime, he’s got a larger-than-life presence in the museum — though there are not as many artifacts for Bonds on display as there are for Rose.

 

What if you’re someone who is still playing, but is widely assumed to have no chance at Hall of Fame induction because of performance-enhancing drugs? Well, guess what, Alex Rodriguez is in Cooperstown, with the bat that he used just last month to join the 2,000 RBI club.

 

Then there are perfectly clean players who are not Hall of Famers because they fell just short of election by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Well, say hello to a proudly displayed color cutout of Jack Morris.

 

Or, perhaps, you’re looking for an excellent player who was an All-Star twice, but got only 0.2% of the vote in his only year on the BBWAA ballot. Jesse Orosco has a place in Cooperstown, his jersey hanging in a display that notes him as the all-time leader in games pitched.

 

One of the great things about the Hall of Fame is how it tells the story of baseball. That story does not just include legends and longtime star performers. There are rare feats throughout the game’s history that earn notice. Eric Bruntlett played seven years in the major leagues and won a World Series as a bench player with the 2008 Phillies. He also turned an unassisted triple play, so his jersey hangs next to a looped video of his one shining moment.

 

Even coming close to a rare feat can get someone to the tiny village in Otsego County. Armando Galarraga did not pitch a perfect game in 2010 because of a blown call at first base. A photo of Galarraga and the story of that game are on display next to the actual base where Jim Joyce called Jason Donald safe.

 

There’s even room for someone who has played 13 major league games. Kyle Schwarber’s picture accompanies his bat from this month’s Futures Game, where he was MVP.

 

Mike Trout’s bat is there, too. There are also Trout shoes in another display. There’s room for him downstairs, too, but for now, Trout, Schwarber, Galarraga, Bruntlett,Orosco, Morris,  A-Rod, Bonds and Rose all are part of the Hall of Fame, even if they’re not Hall of Famers.

Jesse Spector