I know exactly where Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame plaque should have been hanging — for the past three decades.

You’d have found it in the middle of a powerhouse cluster in the plaque gallery — nestled in between the plaques of Tom Seaver and Reggie Jackson. Among others.

Thousands of baseball fans would have gawked at it by now. I can still imagine them, reading that plaque and trying to comprehend that more than 23,000 men have played in Major League Baseball — and Pete Rose got more hits than any of them.

But that’s what could have and should have happened, in a What-If World in which the Hit King was known only for those 4,256 hits and not for … well, so much else.

For three decades, it has saddened me to gaze at that spot on the wall in Cooperstown, N.Y., and reflect on why Rose’s plaque was missing from this Land of the Legends. And on Monday, that sadness only grew, as the news spread that Rose had died, at age 83.

I’ve said and written many times that Pete Rose was the saddest baseball story I ever covered. Now let me explain where that sadness comes from. Like so many others who knew him, it comes from the inescapable thought that his story shouldn’t have ended this way.

Pete Rose was so good at baseball. But more than that, it was so much fun to watch him play baseball. He was a daily fireball of dust and dirt, line drives and headfirst bellyflops, quips and quotes that made you laugh out loud.

He was a Rookie of the Year at 22, an MVP at 32 and still the league leader in hits at 40. The Pete Rose Show was something, all right.

He got a hit in 44 games in a row. He passed Stan Musial to set the all-time National League record for hits. He passed Ty Cobb to lead the whole continent in hits. He was a walking, talking, baseball history museum. And he knew everything about everything that anyone could possibly have stuffed inside that museum.

He was the most magnetic baseball figure of my lifetime. And I don’t say that casually. I’ve thought about this for years. We couldn’t stop watching Pete Rose any time he set foot on a baseball field. We couldn’t stop talking about him when he stepped off that baseball field.

He had an infectious smile. He sprinted to first base after all 1,566 walks. He could turn on his nightclub act and entertain you any time that came in handy. He could make himself the center of the baseball universe. He was the most powerful presence in every room he ever entered.

If only we’d spent the last few decades talking about that guy.

But once the truth began to seep out about that other world Rose lived in, it would never be the same. If only there had never been such a thing as gambling. If only the Hit King hadn’t gravitated toward so many of the unsavory figures in that other world. If only he hadn’t left so many other troubling allegations in his wake, particularly involving his treatment of women. If only …

If only he’d understood that he wasn’t bulletproof. If only he’d taken it all more seriously when the commissioner, Bart Giamatti, asked to talk with him about these gambling allegations the commissioner’s office had caught wind of. If only that had been a wake-up call … instead of the impetus for the suspension that would define Pete Rose for the rest of his life.

It’s now 35 years since I sat in that ballroom in New York where Giamatti announced that he was banning “Mr. Rose” for life for gambling on his own team. I’ll never forget the murmur that rippled through that room as the commissioner uttered those words on Aug. 24, 1989. How could this be happening – Pete Rose’s career ending not on a ballfield but in a ballroom?

That felt all wrong — but not because Giamatti’s decision was wrong. Because the man he was suspending had made so many wrong turns and so many wrong decisions that he brought that fate on himself.

Except it turned out that was not the end of the story. Over the next 15 years or so, Rose had his chances maybe not to get reinstated and work in baseball, but to at least get himself onto a Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Of course, you know how that worked out.

He had so many chances to save himself. But whatever it was he needed to do to make that happen, it felt as though he did the opposite. Over and over and over again.

In 2002, his friends, Mike Schmidt and Joe Morgan, arranged a secret meeting between Rose and Bud Selig, then the commissioner of baseball. The Hit King had to know he would never have a greater opportunity than this one.

Selig spelled out what baseball expected of him if the league was even going to consider adjusting his life sentence. Rose would need to stop gambling — all the gambling. He would need to stop hanging out at all those casinos and racetracks.

And finally, there was this: He would need to hold a press conference — to admit to his “crime,” to admit that yes, he’d bet on baseball, to apologize to everyone he’d betrayed and to promise none of this would ever happen again. They shook hands. And then …

Rose walked out of that meeting and headed directly for an appearance at a sports book in Las Vegas. The commissioner and those around him were furious. Rose’s fate was sealed forever that day. It’s hard to argue it was anyone’s fault except his own.

I’ve known since then exactly how this saga was going to end. I’ve known since then that Pete Rose’s Induction Day in Cooperstown would never arrive. I’ve known since then that there would always be that spot in the gallery where his plaque would never hang. I’ve known since then that I’d be writing this column, on the day he died.

But knowing this was coming doesn’t make it any less sad.

Can you feel that sadness and yet understand that no one was more responsible for how this ended than Rose himself? I believe you can. Why can’t both things be true? I think it’s possible — even sensible — to have two sets of Pete Rose memories.

The hits, the hustle, the records, the indelible moments, the laughs, the fun that flowed from watching the Hit King play baseball — I’m not banning those for life. I’ll think of them forever and smile.

But the turn the rest of his life took — why would I not look at that with sadness? I think about what should have been, and I wish he’d done so many things differently.

It’s strange to think now that he was suspended “for life” by Giamatti. And now that the “lifetime” part of his suspension no longer applies, does that mean that someday, there could be a door the league might open to allow Pete Rose a place in the Hall?

Why not? It never made sense to me that the Hall of Fame wouldn’t find some sort of way to honor the man who got more hits than anybody who ever stood in a batter’s box.

Why isn’t it possible to celebrate all the hits while honestly acknowledging the other side of the story? Why can’t his plaque do both? That’s what I’d do if I was the “Plaque Czar.”

But you know and I know that’s not what will happen. I’ve met many writers who feel as though Rose served his time, so if he ever appeared on our ballot, they’d vote for Pete Rose, the Hit King, even if they had issues with Pete Rose, the Bet King. But it’s a waste of time even to think about that. There’s a better chance of Taylor Swift appearing on our ballot than there is of Rose ever appearing on the writers’ ballot.

And even if Rob Manfred or some future commissioner were ever to change his mind, what version of any veterans committee would ever elect him? Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens found out two years ago that their door is still slammed shut. So why would we think Rose would be any different?

Could Pete Rose end up in Cooperstown? At the moment, it’s difficult to see a pathway. (Getty Images)

And now that he’s gone, it could never carry the same meaning anyway. I’ve always wondered what Pete Rose’s Induction Day would have looked like. Haven’t you? How many baseball fans would have spread out on those Cooperstown hills to hear that speech?

What would he have said that day? What would the other Hall of Famers have said about him? How many would have found something else to do that weekend? It would have been an Induction Day unlike any other — one we would have talked about for decades.

Just like the Hit King himself.

It’s going to take a little while for this to sink in. For as long as I’ve been covering baseball, there has always been Peter Edward Rose to make our lives far more interesting. He was always there, any time we needed a column topic on a slow day. And everyone who knew him had a story to tell.

Now there’s one thing I know for sure. I’ll never forget the life and times of Pete Rose — but especially when I walk through the halls of Cooperstown and stare at that spot where his plaque should hang.

Required reading

(Top photo of Pete Rose in 1984: George Gojkovich / Getty Images)

EXCLUSIVE: Concerned Women of America (CWA) is leading the charge to safeguard women’s sports after an athlete on the San Jose State University (SJSU) women’s volleyball team was identified as a transgender player.

Blaire Fleming’s towering 6-foot-1 presence on the volleyball court has assisted SJSU’s Division I volleyball team to remain undefeated on the court this season.

Macy Petty, a CWA legislative assistant and a NCAA volleyball athlete, shared with Fox News Digital the organization’s efforts to raise awareness of transgender players’ impact on women’s sports.

“We want to protect the integrity of women’s sports but also the safety of these female athletes,” she said. “Many of these schools were unaware that there was a male athlete on this team until this news article came out in April. We just want to make sure that these schools know exactly what is going on in this athletic program because the NCAA and SJSU had not previously given them the decency to even let them know what was happening.”

“Female athletes were put in this odd position of showing up on the court and looking at the other side and realizing that something was different about this game. I’ve never seen an athlete play like this before, which makes total sense considering that this athlete, first of all, is not female, but the net is seven inches shorter than it should be for male players.”

AS A FEMALE ATHLETE, I DO NOT CONSENT TO PLAYING ALONGSIDE MEN IN COLLEGIATE SPORTS

Petty said players feel “blindsided” because the governing body – the NCAA – of the league has not informed teams of the presence of transgender players on opposing teams.

“There’s no informed consent for the schools or for the female athletes here. They’re totally blindsided when they walk up to the court and they see that there’s a male athlete on the other side.”

“This actually happened to me. I played college volleyball, and during my recruiting process, the same thing happened to me. I walked up to the court and, with all of the college scouts standing all around me, I looked at my competition, and it was a boy,” she said. “I thought this is obviously cheating, but I played anyway because I didn’t have this time to sit and reflect and think about the decisions that I was making. It was just kind of upon me at that moment without any respect given to me about that decision.”

Petty said athletes are faced with having to “choose between maybe a $100,000 educational scholarship or their own safety and dignity.”

“We’re not going to jeopardize our female athletes, we’re not going to jeopardize their safety and dignity.”

— Macy Petty, Concerned Women for America

Advertisement

“And for a lot of girls, that’s a burden that is just too much to bear,” she said. “We’re asking these schools to be proactive on this issue and simply say if there is a boy on the other team, we’re not going to play. We’re not going to jeopardize our female athletes, we’re not going to jeopardize their safety and dignity. We’re simply not playing, we’re not going to do this game and have to make our female athletes suffer that burden.”

The organization’s concern prompted them to file a federal civil rights complaint alleging female discrimination and arguing that the California university allowed a male athlete to hold a female roster spot as well as a female athletic scholarship.

CWA also sent letters to schools competing against SJSU, informing them of the males’ participation in the sport and the potential impact on their female athletes.

SWISS COURT TAKES TRANS CHILD AWAY FROM PARENTS OVER THEIR OBJECTIONS TO PUBERTY BLOCKERS

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a copy of the letter the organization sent to Colorado State University informing it about Fleming’s presence and about safety concerns.

“We just asked a couple of questions, like, if they knew that there was a boy athlete that they were going to be competing against. We also [asked] if they are willing to compromise the integrity of your program but also the safety of your female athletes by competing in this game, knowing that there is an increased risk of harm. What are you doing to be precautionary and make sure that this doesn’t happen in the future?”

Blaire Fleming, a transgender athlete, has played three seasons at SJSU after previously playing at Coastal Carolina. (San Jose State University)

On Friday, Colorado State replied to the organization’s inquiry, saying it was planning to host the university as planned on Oct. 3.

“And while we do appreciate that they responded to our inquiry, we do recognize that there have been two major developments since their response on Friday. First, Concerned Women for America did file this federal civil rights complaint against San Jose State. And also Boise State pulled out of their game – a conference game – against San Jose State.”

“We’re hoping that Colorado State will reevaluate our questions knowing that this is a serious problem,” she said.

(Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Boise State University forfeited the game’s match against SJSU on Sept. 28.

“Boise State volleyball will not play its scheduled match at San José State on Saturday, Sept. 28. Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Boise State. The Broncos will next compete on Oct. 3 against Air Force,” Boise State said in a statement.

BOISE STATE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL FORFEITS UPCOMING MATCH AGAINST SJSU AMID CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING TRANS PLAYER

Idaho Gov. Brad Little commended the move, saying it was “working within the spirit” of an executive order he signed “defending women’s sports.”

“I applaud Boise State for working within the spirit of my Executive Order, the Defending Women’s Sports Act,” Little wrote in an X post. “We need to ensure player safety for all of our female athletes and continue the fight for fairness in women’s sports.”

On Tuesday, the University of Wyoming followed suit, forfeiting the conference game against SJSU. The news came after CWA’s college organization, Young Women for America, sent a letter to University of Wyoming President Edward Seidel and Director of Athletics Tom Burman.

“After a lengthy discussion, the University of Wyoming will not play its scheduled conference match against San José State University in the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 5. Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Wyoming,” they wrote in a statement. “The Cowgirls will host Fresno State on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the UniWyo Sports Complex.”

The latest reports on Fleming’s impact on female sports comes as a lawsuit was filed in Georgia against the NCAA.

The lawsuit is headed by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines and includes SJSU volleyball player Brooke Slusser as a plaintiff.

In the lawsuit, Slusser, a Texas native who transferred to SJSU from the University of Alabama, said Fleming was a “male who identifies as transgender and who claims a female identity.”

Slusser alleged that SJSU did not immediately tell her that Fleming is transgender, and the two roomed together on road trips. Slusser said she learned of her teammate’s gender identity when she overheard a student call Fleming a “guy.”

One of Fleming’s teammates joined several other female athletes in suing the NCAA for Title IX violations. (San Jose State University)

Fleming told Slusser in April 2024 that she was born male and considers herself to be transgender, according to the lawsuit. 

Slusser said Fleming’s spikes traveled more than 80 mph, “which was faster than [Slusser] had ever seen a woman hit a volleyball.” Other members of the SJSU team were concerned about getting concussed by Fleming’s spikes, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit alleged that team members were instructed not to speak about Fleming’s gender with people outside the team.

“Due to the NCAA’s Transgender Eligibility Policies which permit Fleming to play on the SJSU women’s volleyball team and which led to SJSU recruiting Fleming, giving Fleming a scholarship, and allowing Fleming to be in positions to violate Brooke’s right to bodily privacy, Brooke has suffered physical and emotional injuries, embarrassment, humiliation, emotional distress, mental anguish and suffering,” the lawsuit said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to San Jose State University for comment.

Slusser spoke to OutKick over the weekend about the lawsuit, saying she believed she was doing the right thing.

“It’s crazy to say, but it was an easy decision for me to join because it’s something I truly believe in,” Slusser said. “And it’s been easy because all the support that I’m getting, 99% of it is just love and encouragement. So, for me, it shows that I made the right decision to join. This is something that so many people do care about. It’s just that so many people are scared to talk about it.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Hide the children. Close the blinds. Put in the earplugs.

It’s time for Marine League football, where fans like to yell, players like to hit and coaches like to argue.

It would be nice if Narbonne, Banning, San Pedro, Gardena and Carson all could get along. City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos even held a meeting between the coaches, athletic directors and administrators before the season. They all reportedly were cooperative and agreed to work together to prevent the usual disruptions.

“The expectation is always good sportsmanship,” Lagos said.

This is a football season in which the top five teams in the City Section are from the Marine League, according to CalPreps’ computer rankings. That’s going to make for an epic league season.

The attention on the league brings back memories of the glory years of the 1970s and ’80s, when Carson, under Hall of Fame coach Gene Vollnogle, and Banning, under Hall of Fame coach Chris Ferragamo, were rolling out one powerhouse team after another. Then Mike Walsh of San Pedro won five City titles and 227 games until retiring in 2016. Then Manuel Douglas turned Narbonne into a powerhouse with eight City titles until his resignation in 2020.

The physicality and intensity of each game between the rivals is fueled by the pride of each fan base. Each high school comes from its own little community — San Pedro, Harbor City, Gardena, Carson and Wilmington.

“Location plays a big factor,” said All-City defensive end Dylan Rubino of San Pedro. “You grow up knowing a lot of people on the same team and with the competitive spirit you want to be better than your friend. I have pride in San Pedro being born and raised here. Growing up in the area, football is big thing.”

Rubino, quarterback Marcus Jeronymo and Banning All-City defensive back Steven Perez attended the same middle school. They like each other. They respect each other. But on the field, they want to win.

“I live two minutes away from Banning,” Perez said. “I was able to play for Pilots youth football teams. And to be able to go to the high school and for the opportunity to play at the next level from my home high school means a lot to me.”

They also agree the adults need to let the players compete without distractions in the stands or incidents before or after games. It’s fun to play football. It’s not fun to deal with the consequences when fights happen and sportsmanship is ignored.

“I think each player appreciates the love other players have for the game,” Rubino said. “We all take pride in the game of football in our city. You celebrate in a humble manner. That’s the way it should be. We all know we’re going to be in the Open Division. Don’t do anything stupid. You’re going to see them again.”

The opening weekend has San Pedro at Carson and Banning at Narbonne. They should be terrific games. Enjoy them. Cheer for your team. Just don’t lose sight of the fact this is high school football. Teenagers are trying to do their best to make their communities proud.

“No matter what team you’re playing, it’s going to be chippy, it’s going to be physical, there’s going to be contact at the end of the day. It’s who wants it more,” Perez said.