Pete Rose, the Hall of Fame and some numbers

As a position player in Major League Baseball, there are two metrics that are considered to make a player a "lock" to be elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  Either 3,000 hits or 500 home runs is basically automatic enshrinement.

Of those players who have more than 3,000 hits and are eligible for election to the Hall, only the following have yet to be voted in:

Pete Rose
Rafael Palmeiro

Of those players who have more than 500 home runs and are eligible for election to the Hall, only the following have yet to be voted in:

Sammy Sosa
Mark McGwire
Rafael Palmeiro
Gary Sheffield
(Honorable mention for Fred McGriff, who hit 493 home runs and would have cleared the magic 500 plateau if not for the 1994 strike)

Five men.  Four who aren't going to ever make it because of the allegations against them involving performance enhancing drugs.  And Pete Rose, who is still banned for life from baseball due to violating the prohibition against gambling.  He's been in the news recently for asking to have the ban lifted and current MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says Rose admitted he still gambles on baseball.

Based solely on performance, Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.  But if he was on the ballot and I was given a vote, I would not give it to him.  Personally I can't get past his lifetime ban.  If you're banned from the game, that should include the Hall of Fame.  We watch institutions strip honors from people like Bill Cosby even though they weren't convicted.

This is an arbitrary thing and I recognize I'm in the minority.