Well all I can say is, “It’s about darn time!” Pete “Charlie Hustle” Rose, and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson have been “reinstated” into Major League Baseball after committing their “heinous” crimes. They are now both eligible to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF). It’s a shame that this didn’t happen while they were alive. Rose was banned, because he was caught betting on MLB games. Jackson was punished for purportedly being part of the “1919 Black Sox Scandal” where eight players were accused of throwing the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. (They were never found guilty.)

I would like to make the case here that guilty or not, both players should have been enshrined in the “hallowed Hall” long ago.

Having been raised in The Bronx in the ‘50s, nothing was more sacred than baseball. The Dodgers, Giants, and the dreaded Yankees were all New York City teams. One was labeled and judged by which team he supported. Your political views, your religion, your job — none of them meant nearly as much.

Baseball players were characterized as being All-American boys. We kids idolized, no, worshipped them. They could do no wrong. Those in the HOF were said to be the cream of the crop, not only for their baseball prowess but for their character as well.

Let’s take a quick glance at some of those idols who are currently on this honor roll.

Babe Ruth was a drunk and was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident. Ty Cobb sharpened his spikes before every game and was also known to bet on games. Bobby Cox was charged with domestic violence. Cap Anson was an outspoken racist who wouldn’t play against a team with a Black player on the roster. Rogers Hornsby would not deny that he belonged to the KKK amid widespread rumors that he did. Mike Piazza admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs and is in the HOF. Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are not because they took steroids. But David “Big Papi” Ortiz is in The Hall despite having taken PEDs. Whitey Ford admitted to cheating. Orlando Cepeda was found guilty of smuggling drugs. Leo Durocher was guilty of assault. All eight members of the 1919 “Black Sox,” including “Shoeless Joe,” have been reinstated, but get this, the owner of the 1919 Sox — Charlie Comiskey — escaped unblemished and is in the HOF.

Both Pete “Charley Hustle” Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson were two of the best ballplayers of all time. That should put them in “The Shrine” today — not whether or not they kissed little babies.

If you are naive enough to think that other Hall of Famers, and some of the players in uniform today, are not gambling on games through friends, family, or anonymous others, I can sell you the Brooklyn Bridge for a good price.

And by the way (hush hush) I’ll slip you some quid if you will nominate me for next year’s Hall of Fame class.

Jonathan Kahane lives in Westhampton.