Pete Rose has more base hits than anyone in history, yet he is not in the Hall of Fame, because 25 years ago he was banished from the game for gambling. He was a magnetic, beloved and polarizing baseball player, and the question "Does Pete Rose belong in the Hall of Fame?" has evolved into one of the most provocative in sports. In Pete Rose: An American Dilemma, Kostya Kennedy, assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated, answers this question in his re-examination of Pete Rose's life—from his cocky and charismatic early years through his storied playing career to his bitter war against baseball's hierarchy.