Charlie Hustle

Meet Donny Grifter

After being banned from Major League Baseball for life, gambler Pete Rose and others like Shoeless Joe Jackson are now eligible to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rose was banned in 1989 and spent the rest of his life crying about it instead of offering repentance. He didn’t even stop gambling. He never helped his case, even when it seemed Baseball wanted to bring him back.

Commissioner Rob Manfred made the ruling and said, “In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served. Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.”

If Rose hadn’t bet on baseball, or if he hadn’t been caught, he would have been voted into the HoF as soon as he was eligible, which is five years after retirement. His 4,256 hits, 3,562 games played, and 15,890 plate appearances are still unbroken records. Across 24 seasons, Rose made 17 All-Star teams, won three batting titles, won the 1973 NL MVP, and won three World Series trophies. Rose earned the nickname “Charlie Hustle” for his aggressive style of play. Rose always seemed to find himself on base, and then the next, and then the next, until he was across home plate. He is a baseball legend. Even his gambling addiction couldn’t take away his legend.

I was excited when I heard this, not because I am a baseball fan and am in Rose’s corner. I’ve always had mixed views about Rose's ban, and Shoeless Joe Jackson’s, for that matter. I was excited because I thought that here’s a chance I can do a cartoon that’s not about Donald Trump. And then I read how this ban was lifted.

Goddammit.

Every time Trump campaigned in Cincinnati or any place in Ohio in 2016, he howled for Rose to be reinstated and eligible for the Hall of Fame, playing up to Ohio voters. One crook knows another crook. He did it again in 2020 and in 2024.

On February 28, Trump posted a long rant full of typos about reinstating Rose, and promised to “sign a complete PARDON.” That would pardon Rose of crimes, like his tax evasion and statutory rape, but not get him into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but maybe a dinner would.

In April, he hosted Manfred for dinner at the White House (I’m sure it was Meatloaf and Big Macs). Manfred said the Rose issue came up, but refused to tell us what was said. Where’s the transparency?

There should be transparency about this because the commish is surely worried about Trump’s approach to immigration, Trump’s influence over (1) the league’s antitrust exemption, and hundreds of work visas granted to Venezuelan and Cuban ballplayers each year. Trump doesn’t do much without a quid pro quo.

So, Mr. Manfred, we know the topic of Pete Rose came up during that dinner, but did work visas and antitrust exemption come up as well?

Fun fact, Pete Rose is already in the Hall of Fame…the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame. So is Donald Trump. If anyone out there still believes professional wrestling is real, there’s that to convince them otherwise.

Update on the AI theft: To refresh your memories, two channels on YouTube (AmeriSatire and ToonAmerica) are posting videos of cartoons that have been copied by Artificial Intelligence, including a few of mine.

I filed two copyright complaints last night with YouTube, and then I went through more videos and found a dozen other copyright thefts. If found thefts of recent cartoons of mine and a few older ones, like one going back to 2017.

This morning, I woke up to find three emails about this, two replies from YouTube about my reports and one email from the fuckers who run one of the channels (but they probably do both).

This is the email from the thief, and it’s probably written by AI as well.

As Harry from Resident Alien would say, “Now I understand what douchebag means.” You thought I was going to quote, “This is some bullshit.” Well, it is.

The desire to reply right now and give them what for is burning, but I think it’d be wiser to wait after I take a few more legal steps.

For YouTube’s part, they apparently delivered the “strikes,” but the messages I received from them today are requesting more information, which is making this even more difficult. So, I plan to spend an all-nighter filing more reports against these two channels.

I also need to harangue my colleagues to do the same. Have you ever heard the expression “herding cats?” We use that when we talk about organizing cartoonists.

Do me a favor and do NOT tell me to get a lawyer. We’re not there yet.

This issue is still developing, so stay tooned.

Creative note: I don’t want to stereotype, but none of my three female proofers know who is on the ear diaper.

Music note:

Drawn in 30 seconds: Do NOT click the volume. You will have an earworm for seven days. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Timelapse:

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