Honestly, I always thought Pete Rose got the worst punishment ever. Like, he bet on baseball, which was against the rules, but if you look at players who used steroids or did other shady stuff, they didn't get life bans. Some even made the Hall of Fame! My uncle used to rant about how Rose just wanted to win and loved the game more than anyone, while some cheaters literally messed up the game's stats forever but still get honored.

The wild thing is, the rule about no gambling was always super strict, and Rose admitted he broke it. But it totally sucks that the punishments aren't even. Some players hurt the sport's image more and still get chances Rose never did. Now, sports betting is legal in a bunch of places. It almost feels like MLB needs to rethink what's serious and what's not. I'm glad they're finally making him eligible again, but part of me thinks the punishment fit back then and now it just looks way over the top. It's just weird how the rules change, you know?