"You're right, just like Ken "I never threw a ball in my life" Burns told us, baseball's history consists of the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Negro Leagues. And there was a guy named Pete Rose who did something at some time, but he lived in that hinterland to the west, beyond the Hudson River, where nothing of note ever happens to anyone.
"
He never fired a musket or a machine gun either, but he did a superb job with both The Civil War and The War, correct me if I am wrong...
Regarding Pete Rose, he committed the ultimate crime in any sport and never ever admitted it, so he deserves what he got...................
Sorry, I'm going to have to disagree with you about "Baseball", and his jazz series, too, for that matter.
I think "The Civil War" was very well done, and set the style for history documentaries that followed, like A&E's "The American Revolution", though I think you could make a case that the style had already been established in earlier series like "Victory at Sea", and "World at War".
But my comment about Pete Rose was intended to point out that, for the most part, other great players were shorted in terms of their contributions, by virtue of having played for teams other than the Yankees or the Red Sox. There's not much on Musial, Gibson, Brock, for example.
Understood, Pete Rose bet on baseball games, and on his own team, which breaks the rules MLB has defined. I agree 100% that he should not be inducted into the Hall of Fame, certainly not until he admits that he broke the rules and shows repentance, and then only after the Commissioner's office might review his case and allow the exception. But that doesn't diminish from his contribution between the lines.
My gym teacher in junior high, who is a friend of my father's (they taught together for years), served in the Marines with Rose, and said he was a selfish, arrogant pr**k then, too, so I've never doubted any reports I hear of people who have the same experience when they meet him. But it doesn't take away from his career. I guess it is one more example of human nature, though, that we so often mix the best and noblest with the worst and basest.
Anyway, too much New York and Boston, not enough other cities.
