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Pete Rose is getting at least one Hall of Fame vote

Pete Rose isn't eligible for the Hall of Fame, but at least one writer is voting for him. (Getty Images/Joe Robbins)
Pete Rose isn’t eligible for the Hall of Fame, but at least one writer is voting for him. (Getty Images/Joe Robbins)

Baseball Hall of Fame season is nearly upon us, and that can be either a good or bad thing based on how much you enjoy getting into arguments online. One of the biggest debates facing the process the past couple seasons is that voters can only place 10 players on their ballots. Many feel there are more than 10 deserving candidates for the Hall of Fame on the current ballot, but 10 is the arbitrary limit set by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).

That list of deserving candidates does not include former Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose … but that’s not going to stop some from wasting one of their votes on him.

That ballot comes courtesy of Jack McCaffery of the Delaware County Daily Times. McCaffery has voted for the Hall of Fame the past couple seasons, and has been writing in Rose’s name for years now. Since Rose was banned from baseball and is not eligible for the Hall of Fame, McCaffery’s public ballots only show up with nine players on the official BBWAA website. His votes for Rose do not count.

Given that Rose is such a polarizing figure, some will applaud the move. But the reality is that Rose is not eligible, and by writing him in, McCaffery is throwing away a vote that could help another qualified candidate. You know, one who hasn’t been banned by baseball.

Take a look at McCaffery’s ballot one more time. There’s nothing wrong with the other nine names he checked off. All are either easy Hall of Fame calls or have an argument. Now, look at some of the names he didn’t check off. Manny Ramirez is an easy call based on stats, though the fact that he actually tested positive twice will be enough for some to leave him off the ballot. Even if you’re anti-Ramirez, you still have Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Sammy Sosa, Billy Wagner and Larry Walker on that ballot. All of them have borderline cases and could really benefit from an extra vote. They won’t get it from McCaffery.

Pete Rose remains a polarizing figure in baseball. (Getty Images/Mark Lyons)
Pete Rose remains a polarizing figure in baseball. (Getty Images/Mark Lyons)

Even if you’re the world’s biggest Pete Rose supporter, this just isn’t the way to make your point. If you’re really passionate about Rose getting into the Hall, petition Rob Manfred to make him eligible. It might be unlikely, but at least you’re taking a shot and trying to make change.

Casting a meaningless vote will not help the cause, and comes at the expense of hurting another player’s chances. Given the amount of talent on the current ballot, it’s too costly to simply throw away a vote on Rose.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik