[Right_Wing_Madman]

He was highly competitive and beloved by the fans and his teammates.

Pete Rose was a terrific baseball player, and probably the most hated player in baseball since Ty Cobb. And he was especially despised by his teammates. Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, and Dave Concepcion couldn't stand him: too much ego, too critical, too intense.

Rose betting a handful of times on his own team to win did not impact one single game.

Bart Giamatti's investigation into Pete Rose revealed that he bet for and against his own team at least 50 times when he managed the Reds in 1987-89. And each bet was a minimum of $10,000 (a lot more money back then).

[bort]

He did not bet against the Reds. And the players that disliked him were particularly jealous that Rose, as a homegrown player in Cincinnati, garnered much more love from the fans. The fans love him to this day. He was the heart and soul of the Big Red Machine. Mickey Mantle was connected to mob gambling. And dozens of players used steroids and thus cheated every game. Rose should be in the HOF.