Dayton native Mike Schmidt, a teammate of Rose’s with the Philadelphia Phillies who campaigned for him to be reinstated, also released a statement.
“It’s a great day for baseball as Commissioner Manfred has reinstated Pete Rose, making him eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame,” Schmidt said. “The ongoing question of whether Pete Rose should or shouldn’t be in the Hall will be answered by a select panel in the next Classic Baseball Era Committee. Congratulations to Pete’s family, his teammates, as well as his supporters who have waited many years for this opportunity for consideration.”
Rose, baseball’s all-time leader in hits, died in September at 82. He one of 17 people removed from the permanently ineligible list. The others were: Eddie Cicotte; Happy Felsch; Chick Gandil; Joe Jackson; 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 decision was made in a response to a petition from the family of Rose to Manfred. Manfred sent a letter to Rose’s family, and Major League Baseball shared excerpts from that letter on Tuesday when announcing its decision.
“The question of whether an individual should remain on the permanently ineligible list after his death has never been formally addressed by Major League Baseball,” Manfred wrote. “Indeed, Mr. Rose is the first person banned by a Commissioner other than Kenesaw Mountain Lands to die while still on the ineligible list. As such, it is incumbent upon the Office of the Commissioner to reach a policy decision regarding this unprecedented issue in the modern era.
“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.
“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. I want to emphasize that it is not part of my authority or responsibility to express any view concerning Mr.Rose’s consideration by or possible election to the Hall of Fame. I agree with Commissioner (Bart) Giamatti that responsibility for that decision lies with the Hall of Fame.”
The Rose news came one day before Pete Rose Night at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. A pregame ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday will feature a Q&A session with Rose’s former teammates and friends and special appearances by Rose’s family members.
In response to Manfred’s announcement, Baseball Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark released this statement.
“The National Baseball Hall of Fame has always maintained that anyone removed from Baseball’s permanently ineligible list will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration,” she said. “Major League Baseball’s decision to remove deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered. The Historical Overview Committee will develop the ballot of eight names for the Classic Baseball Era Committee — which evaluates candidates who made their greatest impact on the game prior to 1980 — to vote on when it meets next in December 2027."
Rose was managing the Reds when he was banned for baseball for life in 1989 for betting on the game. While the ban kept him from joining the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Reds inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2016. They retired his No. 14 that same year.
After denying he gambled on baseball for years, Rose admitted he bet on baseball in 2004 in a book, “Pete Rose: My Prison Without Bars,” and in a sit-down interview with ABC’s Charles Gibson.
Rose made several attempts over the years to get back into the game, even meeting with Commissioner Rob Manfred before the All-Star Game in Cincinnati in 2015 and pleading his case for reinstatement, which was denied. At the time, Manfred said allowing Rose back into baseball “presents an unacceptable risk of future violation by him … and thus the credibility of our sport.”
Rose tried again in 2020 and in 2022 when he wrote Manfred a letter in which he apologized for his gambling and asked again to be considered for the Hall of Fame.
“I also know that I disappointed many Reds fans and baseball fans,” Rose wrote. “Besides spending time with my kids and my partner, there’s nothing that made me happier than playing in front of fans. That I let them down and brought shame to the sport we all love is something I think about every day.”
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