LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — It's not the oldest argument in baseball, but it's in the discussion:
Does Pete Rose, the game's all-time hits leader, deserve a space in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.?
The baseball establishment remains firmly against the idea, more than 30 years after Rose was banned for life for betting on games while he managed the Cincinnati Reds.
Rose fans argue just as passionately in his favor, convinced that his remarkable achievements as a player should not be ignored because he broke the rules as a manager.
Rose wants in.
He's always wanted in. Confirmation came about Rose's intentions on Wednesday in an ESPN.com report by Don Van Natta Jr. that said Rose and his attorneys have asked baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to remove Rose's name from the game's ineligible list.
If Manfred agrees, Rose would be cleared for consideration for the Hall of Fame, where he would join Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and Johnny Bench, his teammates from the great Cincinnati's Big Red Machine teams that won back-to-back World Series in 1975 and 1976.
Why would Rose believe that baseball would change a stance that the game's establishment has held firmly since 1989?
According to the ESPN story, the argument is based on baseball's current scandal that involves the Houston Astros stealing signs in 2017, the season they won the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Although the Astros have fired general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch, baseball chose not to punish any players involved in the cheating.
Rose and his attorneys will also argue that his punishment is out of proportion to the punishment given to players in the sign-stealing scandal (who have not been named) or with players who have used performance-enhancing drugs.
ESPN said that Rose, 78, has asked for a meeting with Manfred.
Former baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti banned Rose for life in August 1989 because an investigation determined that he bet on games involving Reds while he managed the team in Cincinnati.
After steadfastly denying the accusations for 15 years, Rose changed course and admitted his gambling when he wrote a book, "My Prison Without Bars," in 2004.
Giamatti’s successors, Fay Vincent and Bud Selig, declined to consider requests to reinstate Rose. So did Manfred in 2015.
In 1985, Rose broke Ty Cobb's record to become the game's all-time hits leader. He finished his career with 4,256 hits, still the game’s top performance. Rose also leads baseball in at bats (14,053), games played (3,562) and singles (3,215).
Rose currently lives in Los Angeles and makes appearances at card and memorabilia shows.
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