Pete Rose Reinstated And Eligible For Baseball Hall Of Fame, Is It Too Late?

Let this be a reminder to celebrate people while they're still with us. I believe I did a similar post to this earlier this year about waiting until people pass away to celebrate them. And here we are with another example of how things were handled very wrong.

In case you weren't aware, Pete Rose was the all time hit king in baseball. Despite this, his legacy had been tarnished as he received a lifetime ban from MLB after an investigation found that he had bet on baseball games as a manager for the Reds. For decades, Rose and his family would fight to get him reinstated but were unsuccessful. After the announcement of his reinstatement yesterday, it was determined he will soon be eligible for the Hall of Fame. “The National Baseball Hall of Fame has always maintained that anyone removed from Baseball’s permanently ineligible list will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration" said Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark. “Major League Baseball’s decision to remove deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered.”

So is this some type of victory for Pete Rose's family because as we know, Pete passed away last year at the age of 83? It may be and it may feel like some sort of vindication. But why did it take this long? Why did we have to wait until he was gone to give him the respect and accolades he deserved? This question is asked daily and doesn't relate to just professional athletes and celebrities.

What about us regular people? We are we so quick to ignore the importance of people to our lives? You are always hearing stories of people regretting not sharing love and 'flowers' if you will to friends and family while they're still with us...and regretting it after they pass. But why? Are we afraid? Or do we simply feel we will always have more time? Allow this to be a lesson for you. You won't always have time. And we should be celebrated while we're still here on earth.