A decades-long pariah, Pete Rose has been reinstated by Major League Baseball.
Key Takeaways
- Rose, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, and 15 others are no longer on MLB’s “permanently ineligible” list.
- Anyone not on the banned list can be considered by the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Rose was reinstated 36 years after he accepted a ban from commissioner Bart Giamatti.
The all-time career-hits leader, who gambled on baseball as a manager in the 1980s, was removed alongside “Shoeless” Joe Jackson from MLB’s “permanently ineligible” list by commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday.
“Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game," Manfred wrote in a letter to attorney Jeffrey M. Lenkov following a petition sent earlier this year. "Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve. Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual, and Mr. Rose will be removed from the permanently ineligible list.”
Rose’s time served
Rose, who passed away in September, is finally eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame, 36 years after he was banned by then-MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti for wagering on the game and his team. Even though Rose accepted the ban, he didn’t publicly admit to betting on baseball until 2004.
Rose violated MLB’s Rule 21, which protects “the game from individuals who pose a risk to the integrity of the sport by prohibiting the participation of such individuals,” and creates “a deterrent effect that reduces the likelihood of future violations by others.”
“In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served,” Manfred wrote in the letter.
There has been staunch support for Rose, one of the game’s greats as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, to be reinstated for several years. He left the game as a player in 1986, finishing with the all-time record of 4,256 career hits, a mark that still stands today.
"On behalf of the Reds and our generations of loyal fans, we are thankful for the decision of Commissioner Manfred and Major League Baseball regarding the removal of Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list,” Reds owner Bob Castellini said. "Pete is one of the greatest players in baseball history, and Reds Country will continue to celebrate him as we always have.”
Rise of sports betting
At the time Rose was placed on the banned list, MLB had no relationship with any form of gambling.
Since PASPA was overturned in 2018, sports betting has become legal in 39 U.S. states and currently operates in 38. MLB and its teams have numerous partnerships with sportsbooks, although players, managers, and staff are not allowed to bet on the league.
The commissioner never said the rise of legal sports betting played a role in his decision, but Manfred reached the “policy decision on this unprecedented issue in the modern era” following an application by the Rose family to have him reinstated in hopes of getting the legendary hitter into the Hall of Fame.
Others removed from the list
Jackson was a member of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, a team remembered for fixing the World Series. Jackson and seven other players were banned in 1921 for the “Black Sox Scandal.”
The legendary outfielder hit .356, the fourth-highest career batting average in MLB history, and Jackson led the team in several statistical categories during the 1919 World Series. His role in the scandal was hotly disputed for decades, but Jackson was banned from the game in 1920 by MLB commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
The 15 other individuals removed from the list include Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, Lefty Williams, Joe Gedeon, Gene Paulette, Benny Kauff, Lee Magee, Phil Douglas, Cozy Dolan, Jimmy O’Connell, and William Cox.
The earliest anyone could be eligible for the Hall of Fame is 2028, but there’s no guarantee Rose, Jackson, or any of the others will get in. Chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement that being removed from permanent eligibility list “will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered.”
