Cal Ripken Jr. on SI Now: Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame

Former Baltimore Orioles star Cal Ripken Jr. said on SI Now on Thursday that he believes Pete Rose should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Former Baltimore Orioles star Cal Ripken Jr. said on SI Now on Thursday that he believes Pete Rose should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rose, 73, was banned from baseball for life in 1989 for betting on games. Last month, Rose formally requested that he be reinstated. 

Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds for 19 seasons and managed the team for seven seasons.

His 4,256 hits are the most in MLB history.​

"Petey, when you look at his career, he's one of the game's best players," Ripken said. "And so, the easy part of that is to say, 'Yes, he should be in the Hall of Fame.' Some of the other, difficult parts is, 'What does reinstatement mean? What does working in the game mean?' And I don't know about that. But to me, he's a Hall of Fame player with the most hits. He should be celebrated in the Hall of Fame."

Ripken, 54, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

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