Eight months after the death of Pete Rose, the path for Rose to enter the Hall of Fame will open for the first time since it was blocked 34 years ago. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, acting on a petition by Rose’s family, removed Rose from the ineligible list Tuesday. The decision by the commissioner is separate from Hall of Fame voting procedures, but it does make Rose eligible for Hall of Fame consideration as soon as December 2027. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr.
Rose, the all-time hits leader with 4,256 hits, in 1989 accepted an agreement with commissioner Bart Giamatti to be placed on the ineligible list after the commissioner’s office spent months investigating his betting on baseball while playing and managing the Cincinnati Reds. Two years later, just before Rose was first eligible on Hall of Fame ballots sent to baseball writers, the Hall changed its eligibility rules. It barred any player on MLB’s ineligible list from appearing on a ballot.
Rose denied betting on baseball at the time, only to admit 15 years later in writing a book to such actions in violation of baseball’s Rule 21.
Manfred’s decision now permits Rose to gain the same chance at the Hall once afforded Joe Jackson, the outfielder barred for his part in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. While on the ineligible list, Jackson was considered on Hall ballots in 1936 and 1946 but received minimal support.
Rose died Sept. 30, 2024, in Las Vegas at age 83. Manfred met with Rose’s daughter Fawn and his lawyer, Jeffrey Lenkov, in December. A formal petition for being removed from the ineligible list was submitted on Jan. 8. The Rose family preferred a decision be made by Wednesday night, when the Reds host a Pete Rose Night at Great American Ballpark to celebrate the life and career of the franchise icon. The Reds play the Chicago White Sox that night at a special start time of 7:14 to honor No. 14.
Manfred also met with President Trump at the White House on April 16. One of the topics of their conversation was the MLB status of Rose. Trump told Manfred he would posthumously pardon Rose. In 1990, Rose pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns and served a five-month sentence.
Rose is no longer eligible for consideration by the writers, which consider players for a 10-year period that begins five years after their last game. His candidacy would pass to the Classic Baseball committee that next meets in December 2027. If elected, he would be inducted in July 2028. The committee consists of 16 members of the Hall, executives and veteran media members. A candidate needs 12 of 16 votes for election.
Rose previously filed for reinstatement to Manfred in 2015 not long after Manfred became commissioner. He also applied to former commissioner Bud Selig in 1997 and 2002 without success.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Opens Path for Pete Rose to Posthumously Enter Hall of Fame.