A Rose by any other name …

… would be in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame by now.

Pete Rose was kicked out of baseball in 1989 for betting on baseball while managing the Cincinatti Reds, a charge he finally admitted to in 2002.

Thanks to Hank Aaron, Joe Morgan and Frank Robinson,* however, Bud Selig is publicly considering reinstating Rose, which would put the all-time hits leader on the ballot for the museum that celebrates Ty Cobb, who once got into a fistfight with the Tigers’ groundskeeper and his wife.

But, even if he is made eligible, he would still have to receive enough Veterans Committee votes, which is made up of all the living Hall of Fame members.

*Is it just us, or does the Veterans Committee sound like the Justice League, especially with legendary names like Hank Aaron? Maybe if they forgive gambling, they can finally move on to real crimes.