They believed in his hustle then, and they believe in his hustle now. No one buys into Bud Selig, who has 4,256 hits fewer than Rose. Even Darryl Strawberry, the Yankees' troubled outfielder whom Rose uses as an example of how easily baseball lets other miscreants return, says he was embarrassed and angered by Gray's interview. The truth is, everything about the Rose case is flawed. The player, the commissioner, the fans.
None seems to get it.
Rose continues to be evasive, and part of his defense seems to be, well, other players served less time for their transgressions. But he wants his second chance without apology for his first, which isn't likely to happen. Selig continues to appear as if he is dealing with a personal vendetta. It has been two years since Rose applied for reinstatement, and Selig hasn't bothered to respond. That comes across as petty.