Why Pete Rose doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame (at least not now)

Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer argues that America is the land of second chances, so Pete Rose deserves a second chance, namely reinstatement into baseball and induction into Cooperstown. Violent criminals are given assistance in finding jobs after spending time in prison, after all. And Pete Rose's crime was far from violent. Why shouldn't baseball go out of its way to help Pete Rose rehabilitate himself?

The difference is that ex-cons need jobs to survive. Pete Rose has been living just fine off his name for decades. Baseball doesn't owe him anything... baseball gave him his fame and an opportunity to earn money for the rest of his life.

Pete Rose screwed up. He bet on baseball, probably on games he was managing. He then lied about it for 14 years. Only recently, as his window of Hall of Fame eligibility is closing, has he come forward with an admission of guilt. Excuse me for not finding his apology all that sincere. Rose's confession is entirely self-serving... he wants in the Hall, nothing more. Until Pete Rose shows some genuine concern for the welfare of basball, he doesn't deserve a place in the Hall of Fame.