Pete Rose is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most exciting players in baseball history. Nicknamed "Charlie Hustle" for the gritty and determined way he played the game, Rose overcame an obvious lack of raw talent to eventually become the Major League record holder in many of baseball’s most prestigious statistical categories, including career hits, singles, at-bats and games played. He invented, or at least popularized, the head first slide. He never played a game at the end of which his uniform wasn’t dirty. Walked 1,566 times in his career, Rose never walked, but always sprinted to first base.

Yet, Rose’s on-field legacy will be forever superceded by his callous disregard for the game he played, managed and claims to love so much. He broke baseball’s cardinal rule, which states, "Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible." (Major League Rule 21)

For this, Charlie Hustle was "permanently" banned from baseball in 1989. And for this, Major League Baseball should balk at Rose’s current attempt at one more (and ultimate) free pass — to be reinstated to the game and inducted into its Hall of Fame.

After more than 14 years of Clintonesque denials and flat-out lies to the baseball community, including commissioners, investigative committees, players, colleagues, sports writers, analysts and fans (forgive us if we’ve left anyone out), Rose has released his second autobiography, Pete Rose: My Prison Without Bars (ironically refuting his first), in which he "comes clean" about his gambling habits while managing the Cincinnati Reds. His timing is impeccable. With less than two years left before he truly becomes ineligible to have his bust sit next to those of Ruth, Mantle, Mays and others in Cooperstown, Rose is hopeful that his shameless confession is enough to convince Commissioner Bud Selig to reverse the 1989 ban.

The debate that has once again ensued among sports enthusiasts as a result of the book’s release has admittedly provided for some interesting and heated conversations around company water coolers everywhere. Yes, based solely on his stats, Rose deserves to be in the Hall. And yes, if just half of the millionaire prima donnas today played the game as hard as he did, the sport would be much better off. But, Rose’s own admission that he gambled on baseball serves as nothing more than further evidence that he should be banned from the game forever.

Major League Baseball is not, nor has it ever been, a league of saints. Like every other major professional sport, tales of illegal drug use, domestic violence, performance enhancement and everything else bad one can think of are reported in banner headlines on the front covers of sports pages across the country on a monthly, if not weekly, basis. All hurt America’s pastime. But violating Rule 21 is baseball’s only capital offense for a very good reason. Gambling almost ruined baseball in 1919 when bookies paid off eight players on the infamous "Black Sox" team to throw the World Series.

If baseball concedes to Rose’s last ditch effort to be reinstated, it and possibly all of professional sports may never be able to recover. Think about it, the next time a Bill Buckner allows a ball to trickle between his legs at first base in the World Series, or a Chris Webber is T’d up in a national championship game for calling a Time Out his team doesn’t have, fans everywhere will think "the fix is in."

Moreover, should Major League Baseball permit Rose’s reinstatement, it would send the message that the rules don’t apply to those capable of reaching prominence or celebrity status in their respective fields. Regardless of one’s profession, the rules and ethics governing it are not made to be broken. That goes for someone just starting out or someone who has reached the highest of pinnacles. Despite Pete Rose’s impressive accomplishments, "no one is above the law."

Fourteen players have been tossed from the game for life for violating Rule 21, and no commissioner has found reason to reinstate any of them. Should that change now, the great deterrent that has been, for the most part, successful in keeping the competition on the field "pure" will no longer mean a damn thing.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig knows this and so does Pete Rose. Perhaps this is why Rose has hedged his bet after more than 14 years of lies with a reported $1 million advance for his book.

If history is any guide, gamblers, including Charlie Hustle, know to stay away from the long shot 8-to-1 odds on Rose’s reinstatement now being offered by some online sports books. But that’s not Rose’s style. He has always gambled against the odds. Fortunately for Major League Baseball and its fans, it appears this time Rose will be stuck paying the ultimate price forever.