Pete Rose was erased from baseball by Topps, according to a Feb. 13 Yard Barker report. The baseball card maker made no mention of the iconic Pete Rose on any baseball card starting with their 2013 season even though Pete Rose is the MLB all-time hits leader.
Why was Pete Rose erased from baseball history by the company that owns exclusive rights to produce the MLB-licensed trading cards? Well, while it was called "a simple decision," there was no specific reason given.
However, those who know their baseball will remember that Pete Rose gambled on baseball. Because of that, he was banned for life. He cannot play, coach, or manage in baseball. He is banned from the Hall of Fame. Now, he is not even in the records on baseball cards? Wow!
Baseball sure has its steady stream of villains including Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and the others accused of illegal doping. They have not had their names and records erased from Topps yet even though they have also not been placed in the MLB Hall of Fame.
Obviously many baseball card collectors are not thrilled by this "simple decision" from Topps. Why didn't Ty Cobb get erased? What about any of the other baseball players who have done the wrong thing? Do you think it is up to Topps to decide arbitrarily which records to erase and which to keep?
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