Pete Rose was removed from Major League Baseball’s permanently ineligible list — and is one step closer to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Rose, who was MLB’s all-time hit king, was permanently banned from baseball for gambling. On Tuesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that a player can no longer be ineligible once he has died, Fox News reported.
“Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” Manfred wrote in a letter, which was obtained by ESPN, to Rose attorney Jeffrey M. Lenkov. “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.”
MLB announced Manfred’s decision in a press release.
“This issue has never been formally addressed by Major League Baseball, but an application filed by the family of Pete Rose has made it incumbent upon the Office of the Commissioner to reach a policy decision on this unprecedented issue in the modern era as Mr. Rose is the first person banned after the tenure of Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to die while still on the ineligible list. Commissioner Manfred has concluded that MLB’s policy shall be that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual,” MLB said.
After he claimed his innocence for years, Rose eventually admitted to gambling in 2004. Rose was found to have gambled on the Cincinnati Reds to win when he was both a manager and a player.
Rose, who died in September, said 10 days before he died that he would never make it to Cooperstown while he was still alive — if he made it at all.
President Donald Trump went to bat for Rose in February.
“Major League Baseball didn’t have the courage or decency to put the late, great, Pete Rose, also known as ‘Charlie Hustle,’ into the Baseball Hall of fame. Now he is dead, will never experience the thrill of being selected, even though he was a FAR BETTER PLAYER than most of those who made it, and can only be named posthumously. WHAT A SHAME!” Trump posted.
“Anyway, over the next few weeks I will be signing a complete PARDON of Pete Rose, who shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING. He never betted against himself, or the other team. He had the most hits, by far, in baseball history, and won more games than anyone in sports history. Baseball, which is dying all over the place, should get off its fat, lazy a–, and elect Pete Rose, even though far too late, into the Baseball Hall of Fame!”
Rose’s family was pleased by Tuesday’s news, ESPN reported.
“This has been a long journey,” Lenkov said. “On behalf of the family, they are very proud and pleased and know that their father would have been overjoyed at this decision today.”
“My next step is to respectfully confer with the Hall and discuss … Pete’s induction into the Hall of Fame,” Lenkov said. “Reds Nation will not only be able to celebrate Pete’s legacy, but now optimistically be able to look forward to the possibility that Pete will join other baseball immortals. Pete Rose would have for sure been overjoyed at the outpouring of support from all.”
“Shoeless” Joe Jackson was also reinstated. He was banned after allegedly taking part in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
Despite accepting $5,000 in cash to throw the 1919 World Series, Jackson batted .375 and didn’t make an error. He also hit the only home run in the series.
