Fox Sports tallies the score:
In baseball, villains are as much a part of the game’s history as home runs and strikeouts.
Over the years, you’ve had superstars who also doubled as racists (Ty Cobb, Cap Anson), game-fixers (Hal Chase, the 1919 White Sox), misanthropes (take your pick), drunks and womanizers (again, take your pick). In the modern era, though, two villains tower over all the rest: Barry Bonds, the all-time home run king, and Pete Rose, the all-time hit king.
And the verdict is:
Rose is narrowly more villainous than Bonds when it comes to crimes against the game and off-the-field malfeasances. Bonds, meanwhile, is worse when it comes to relationships with teammates. Overall, we’ll give the close nod to Rose over Bonds as the biggest contemporary villain in baseball. Rose will evoke more sympathy with fans because he was the hustlin’, dirty-uniformed regular guy who got by on moxie and drive rather than talent. (This, of course, is patent nonsense — anyone who plays a quarter century in the majors has loads upon loads of natural ability.) In the objective sense, however, he’s the greater of two evils.
And, ironically, Rose remains a fan favorite even after the truth has come out. Bonds, probably never will be.
