HR0667 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0667 LRB099 13244 MST 37219 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The game of baseball is the "National Pastime"; it is an institution that transcends the realm of sport and has become an integral part of the American experience; the game, and those players that make it such an enjoyable and communal event, has been a part of the American way of life for well over a century; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has been a proud producer of talent and supporter of the game of baseball, standing as the proud home of 2 of the most distinguished franchises in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox; and

WHEREAS, Players including former Chicago Cub, Joe Girardi (from Peoria), former White Sox, Jim Thome (from Peoria), former New York Yankee, Rickey Henderson (Chicago native), former St. Louis Cardinal, Jason Isringhausen (from Brighton), and current Washington National, Jayson Werth, born in the State's capital of Springfield, are only but a few Illinoisans who have contributed to the game over the years, and they represent the importance that the game has on baseball fans and enthusiasts here in the Land of Lincoln; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox organizations, being 2 of the most historic teams in baseball, have contributed much to the game and have had the privilege to have a number of their players recognized in the National Baseball Hall of Fame located in Cooperstown, New York; and

WHEREAS, It is understood that induction into the Hall of Fame is one of the most incredible rewards and honors that can be bestowed upon an MLB player; the Hall represents all of the principles that the game of baseball embodies and demands of those players who compete for a chance to, one day, have the opportunity to win a World Series and be admitted into Cooperstown; and

WHEREAS, The game of baseball is also a game that is played by the rules, and the "Big Leaguers" that play the game are expected to play by those rules; nevertheless, those rules and regulations are, at times, presented an exceptional case - one that needs to be considered in more than a standard, uniform manner; and

WHEREAS, In recent times, the integrity of the game of baseball has been sullied, adulterated by the introduction of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs); the use of PEDs has introduced an added challenge to the game, resulting in certain users of those substances receiving an unfair advantage on the field; this abuse of the rules of the game is something that owners and players, both past and present, will continue to deal with; and

WHEREAS, Former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig met this problem head-on and took measures that ultimately resulted in new restrictions and steeper penalties for those players found in violation of the revised rules on the use of PEDs; yet, there are players who have been found guilty of abusing these restricted substances but remain eligible to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, The punishment for players found guilty of having used PEDs, some of whom hold ground-breaking records, have devoted many years to our nation's pastime, and have fans across the country and world, is fair; and

WHEREAS, There remains one exceptional case before MLB - the case of Pete Rose, otherwise known as "Charlie Hustle"; and

WHEREAS, Pete Rose, born Peter Edward Rose, is one of the most remarkable individuals to have ever played the game, as his career statistics substantiate; he is also one of the most popular Cincinnati Reds player to ever have put on the uniform, most notably as part of the "Big Red Machine"; and

WHEREAS, Pete Rose is a career .303 hitter; in his 14,053 at-bats, he totaled 160 home runs, 1,314 runs-batted-in, and 2,165 runs scored; he holds the MLB record for total hits with 4,256; and

WHEREAS, A Cincinnati native, Pete Rose is a hometown hero who brought more than 2 decades of entertainment, excitement, and prestige to "The Queen City"; among his many achievements, he won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1963, 3 World Series titles, and one Most Valuable Player award; he won 3 batting titles, 2 Gold Gloves, and took part in 17 All-Star Games as a first, second, and third baseman and left and right-fielder; and

WHEREAS, Pete Rose served as manager for the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 to 1989, accumulating a record of 426 wins and 388 losses; and

WHEREAS, In 1989, MLB Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti issued a permanent, lifetime ban on Pete Rose after accusations arose surrounding his involvement in illicit gambling, outlawed by MLB's Rule 21; and

WHEREAS, A fault was committed, and Pete Rose has since admitted to having illegally bet on his team as manager of the Cincinnati Reds; the illegality of his actions are undeniable and his punishment was deserved; and

WHEREAS, The game that Americans love and enjoy needs to be respected and cannot be subject to misconduct by any player, manager, or owner; every team should have the same access to the opportunity of winning, and all games should be played on the level; and

WHEREAS, Consideration for the National Baseball Hall of Fame has been granted to players that have been linked to the abuse of banned substances; this decision, while controversial and the subject of much debate among current and former baseball players and sports writers, has been decided to be fair treatment given to otherwise guilty players that committed a wrong against the institution of baseball; and

WHEREAS, Players such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa have been granted enough of a reprieve that they have had, at the very least, an opportunity to be considered for induction into baseball's most sacred fraternity; they have been signaled and reprimanded for their past actions; yet, they have been allowed to have their "day in court"; Pete Rose's career and legacy should earn him the same leniency and treatment; and

WHEREAS, Speaking before a crowd of devoted fans and onlookers in Normal, where he was invited to act as "Manager for a Day" for the Normal CornBelters of the independent Illinois Frontier League, Pete Rose sincerely stated, "There comes a time when you see all your friends go in the Hall of Fame. To think that you could be a member of the Hall of Fame, it would be goosebumpy. A Hall of Fame is more for your fans and your family. And a lot of the people responsible for me being a baseball player aren't here [any] more."; He added, "I got 6 grandkids that would love to go to Cooperstown. I got 2 daughters and 2 sons who would love to go to Cooperstown ... It would mean a lot to them. It would mean a lot to anybody".; and

WHEREAS, Although Pete Rose committed an injustice against his fans, players, and Major League Baseball, the punishment should be reconsidered; he is a legendary sports figure who commands the respect of even the harshest of his critics; and

WHEREAS, With the permission of Major League Baseball, Pete Rose was recognized by the Cincinnati Reds organization on September 11, 2010 for the 25th anniversary of his 4,192nd hit, which put him past the previous hits-leader, Ty Cobb, and, most recently, during the 2015 All-Star Game in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 14, 2015; and

WHEREAS, No greater recognition can be offered to Pete Rose than allowing his name to be considered by the voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame after his 26th year of a lifetime ban from the sport that was, and continues to be, his livelihood; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Major League Baseball Commissioner, Rob Manfred, to reconsider the case of Pete Rose and work towards reinstating him as a testament to his legendary achievements and contribution to the game of baseball; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to Pete Rose; MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred; Chicago Cubs owner, Thomas Ricketts; Chicago White Sox Chairman, Jerry Reinsdorf; Cincinnati Reds Chief Executive Officer, Robert "Bob" Castellini; and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.