Ending manhood in the hall of shame

Ruben Navarrette : Pete Rose should be inducted into Baseball 's Hall of Fame .

He says he liked Rose for some of the same reasons I liked that other shady character I covered — Trump.

He asks whether Rose and Trump are products of same toxic all- American climate that has changed far too little over decades.

Ruben Navarrette : Pete Rose supporters say gambling on sports is now a welcome partner of the American major leagues.

He was a gamer who made most of less-than-elite skills with hard work and intensive play, he says.

He's a blue-collar digger, distinctly a symbol of merit in its latest Trumpian definition, he writes.

But he was stubborn in ways that would prove self-destructive; he was canny without appearing intelligent.

Ruben Navarrette : Pete Rose is one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, without question.

He says players can't seem to understand fans' sense of betrayal at Rose tipping the balance of games.

He asks: Maybe it’s because Pete Rose was another of the thugs who mugged us on the dark road to dishonor and beat us on his beatification.