Pete Rose reinstated as eligible for Hall of Fame — but new rule will revive MLB's darkest era

The commissioner of Major League Baseball decided that former player Pete Rose will be eligible for Hall of Fame induction moving forward.

Rose played from 1963 to 1986 with the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Montreal Expos. He has the most hits (4,256), most games (3,562), and most at-bats (14,053) in MLB history. Rose died in September 2024 at 83 years old.

However, in 1989, Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti banned Rose from MLB activities and therefore from the Hall of Fame for allegedly gambling on games, including those of his team, the Reds.

Now, MLB commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. has decided to institute a policy that allows Rose to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Pete Rose on the Philadelphia Phillies. Image via Bettmann/Getty Images

'He's said what he said publicly. I'm not going beyond that.'

Manfred issued the policy after the family of Rose filed an application that MLB said "made it incumbent upon the Office of the Commissioner to reach a policy decision" on whether or not deceased individuals will remain on the list of those permanently ineligible for the Hall of Fame.

In a letter to Rose's attorney, Manfred said that while it is his preference "not to disturb decisions made by prior Commissioners, Mr. Rose was not placed on the permanently ineligible list by Commissioner action but rather as the result of a 1989 settlement of potential litigation with the Commissioner's Office.

"My decision today is consistent with Commissioner Giamatti’s expectations of that agreement," Manfred wrote.

At the same time, baseball analyst and podcaster Gary Sheffield Jr. pointed out that while Manfred may be finally making a decision, he fought for years to keep Rose out of the Hall of Fame.

"Manfred led the defense to keep Rose out since 2015," Sheffield told Blaze News. "It's embarrassing."

In 2015, Manfred denied Pete Rose's application for reinstatement. In 2020, Manfred said Rose "violated what is sort of rule one in baseball" and added that the MLB would continue "to abide by our own rules."

The commissioner said the league has declared that permanent ineligibility "ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual."

As a result of this policy, 17 people were affected, eight of whom were part of the infamous Black Sox scandal.

In that 1919 ordeal, eight Chicago White Sox players, including "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, accepted bribes from gamblers to intentionally lose games. All eight players were indicted for conspiracy and, despite acquittals, were banned for life by then-Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

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In April, Manfred said he met with President Trump and specifically discussed Rose and his eligibility.

"I met with President Trump two weeks ago," Manfred said. "One of the topics was Pete Rose, but I'm not going beyond that."

"He's said what he said publicly. I'm not going beyond that in terms of what the back-and-forth was."

Some of Trump's public comments involved a claim that he would sign a "complete pardon" for Rose, who he said "shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING."

Trump continued on Truth Social, "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!"

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Rose originally denied betting on baseball, but eventually admitted to it in a 2004 interview.

"I bet on baseball in 1987 and 1988," he told ABC.

In his book, "My Prison Without Bars," which was released in the same time frame, Rose also admitted to betting on his own team.

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