There is a sign in every major league clubhouse that says that gambling on baseball will get you a suspension and gambling ON YOUR OWN TEAM will get you a LIFETIME BAN.

I've heard baseball players talk of seeing the sign - most recently Jimmy Piersall. Rose knew the punishment but still BET ON HIS OWN TEAM.

To now put him in the HOF would make a mockery of the gambling ban.

As for Sandberg, he should definitely be in the Hall. I'd take him over Alomar though both should be shoe-ins for the Hall of Fame. Besides just looking at a career average you need to look at some of a players BEST years. Joe Morgan hit .238 one year but when he was in his prime, he was the best 2B in the history of basebal IMOP.

Sandberg had years when he was the most valuable player in baseball. In a fantasy draft in those years, he would be a #1 pick. Guys who were consistently good but never great aren't Hall of Famer's - or shouldn't be (Early Winn for example). Sandberg was THE BEST 2B for MANY years of his career (1984-1992 especially).

Over those years he never had a season with less than 500 AB and usually was over 600 AB, so no flukes. His average performance was:

BA    R    HR   SB   slgpct

.295  97   24   27   .483