In one of the more unusual stories of the day, Baseball Prospectus is reporting that Pete Rose will be reinstated in 2004. Tom DuPuy, Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball, has vehemently denied what BP is reporting. A little too vehemently and vaguely for my tastes.

I think this is sheer genius on BP’s part, whether it turns out to be true or not. I love BP, and bought their 2003 baseball guide, and it’s by far the best baseball publication I’ve ever read. The level of detail is by far the best I’ve ever seen, and I plan on getting next year’s edition as well.

With that said, if they’re correct about the Pete Rose story, then they look like they’re on the cutting edge of sports journalism by beating ESPN, CNN, and whoever else is out there to the punch. They also have 17 months in which to be correct, so there’s a ton of wiggle room involved. And even if they’re wrong, who’s going to remember, or even care, when it’s January 1, 2005, and Rose is still banned.

Either way, it’s a major coup for BP and other less mainstream websites and publications. They’ve always been a favorite site of mine, but they just put themselves on the map as far as the mainstream media is concerned.

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