Does Rose mean the end for Selig?

ESPN reported earlier today that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is seriously considering the idea of lifting Pete Rose's life-time ban from baseball.

Many sports writers and columnists are now typing away to express their opinion either for Rose or against Rose, I'm not. I will say that Rose has made it difficult to be elected into the Hall of Fame if the ban is lifted, however it is a likely possibility. In addition, I am not old enough to remember Rose's playing days and form my own opinion. I just know what I have heard from my family and TV.

Rather than writing a biased blog about why Rose should be elected into the Hall of Fame, I would like to approach this from a different perspective and discuss why I thing Selig is even considering this decision.

I think Selig is about to retire as MLB Commissioner. His career has been filled with ups and downs. He as been criticized for this attitude toward the performance enhancing drug issue. He was again slammed for his decision to make the All-Star Game "count" by giving home-field advantage in the World Series. Then again a few years ago when he made the decision to call the All-Star Game a tie. He has been taking almost as much negative feedback as President George W. Bush. Needless to say there are many people who would be very happy to see him go and I would bet that most of them want to see Rose in the Hall of Fame. In my personal opinion, Bud Selig has overstayed his welcome as MLB Commissioner.

When I first heard the news that he was seriously considering the pardon, my mind immediately went to his nearing retirement. This seems to be the way that he can retire with the least amount of backlash from the fans. After all, why not make the decision to pardon Charlie Hustle, the man who played the game the hardest, and earn an at-a-boy or two before hanging up the sport jacket.

Selig will forever be labeled as the commissioner of the "Steroid Era" and there is no way he can escape that, but there is a smell of this decision that screams "last hoorah" as commissioner of the MLB.