MLB’s all-time hits king, Pete Rose, has been known to be pretty blunt about his opinions since walking away from the game 20-plus years ago. But what he said during an interview yesterday is one of those things that makes me wonder if the guy’s mental health is stable.
When asked about Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz’s candidacy to reach the Hall of Fame, here’s what Rose said, via NESN:
“Borderline,” Rose said when asked if Ortiz was a HOFer. “Because of how many hits he has. But if he plays a couple more years, he’s a cinch.”
Uh, what? Not sure if Rose is bitter about not being in Cooperstown himself—highly likely—or smoking some crazy shit—also, maybe likely—but his belief that Big Papi isn’t a Hall of Famer is absurd.
Ortiz, who is enjoying a remarkable 20th season in the bigs, has already announced that 2016 will be his final year—even with the eye-popping stats he’s putting up. For his career, the designated hitter’s batted .286 with 525 dingers and 1,713 RBI—both in the top-25 all-time—not to mention winning three World Series rings. Oh, and he has 2,400 career hits.
Of course, Rose may have been referencing that whole PED list thing from back in 2003 that Ortiz’s name showed up on, but the guy addressed that in a 2015 Players’ Tribune post saying this:
Some people still look at me like I’m a cheater because my name was on a list of players who got flagged for PEDs in 2003. Let me tell you something about that test. Most guys were taking over-the-counter supplements then. Most guys are still taking over-the-counter supplements. If it’s legal, ballplayers take it.
…
If you think I’m full of it, go to your kitchen cabinet right now and read the back of a supplement bottle and honestly tell me you know what all of that stuff is. I’m not driving across the border to Mexico buying some shady pills from a drug dealer. I’m in a strip mall across from the Dunkin’ Donuts, bro.
Who knows what’ll happen with Papi and the Hall, but with numbers that validate him, Pete Rose just sounds like a jackass who’s jealous he never got in because, you know, gambling, bro.