Aug 7, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Former Philadelphia Phillies great Pete Rose acknowledges the crowd during Alumni Day ceremony before game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports Eric Hartline
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has removed Pete Rose and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, among others, from the permanently ineligible list, according to ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr.
Manfred determined that the punishment for Rose— who accepted a permanent ban in 1989 for betting on baseball during his time managing the Cincinnati Reds — concluded when he passed away last September:
"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, who petitioned for Rose's removal from the list Jan. 8. "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 removal comes after pressure from President Trump, who took to both social media and then eventually a meeting with Manfred to state the case of MLB's all-time hits leader:
( @realDonaldTrump - Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump - Feb 28, 2025, 11:38 PM ET )
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… pic.twitter.com/LgUZ4n3YPn
So what does this mean for the Hall of Fame cases of Rose and Jackson, who both would have been first-ballot Cooperstown electees based solely on their production? Seemingly, this paves the way for each to have an opportunity to be elected, but the Hall of Fame will have to determine what means are used for that.
Typically, players appear on the Baseball Writers Association of America's Hall of Fame ballot for up to 10 years, needing 75% of the vote to be elected. Rose never got that chance because he last played in 1986, so when he accepted the permanent ban placed on him by then-commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989, he was still in the five-year waiting period between retirement and first appearing on the ballot. In some senses then, it feels like Rose — who played for the Phillies from 1979 to 1983 — should first be on that ballot.
But this will likely be through one of the specialized committees, not the BBWAA. For example, Dick Allen was elected posthumously through the Classic Era Committee this past December. The Classic Era Committee has 16 members, and considers players who played "prior to 1980." Rose played for 24 seasons, beginning in 1963 and finishing in 1986, so presumably this would be the group of individuals deciding his fate if he doesn't appear on the BBWAA ballot. They don't meet annually, and their next election is scheduled for December of 2027, which would put Rose and Jackson, if elected, in line to be honored in 2028.
The most recent iteration of the Classic Era Committee was made up of Eddie Murray, Tony Pérez, Ozzie Smith, Lee Smith, Paul Molitor, Joe Torre, Sandy Alderson, Dayton Moore, Terry McGuirk, Arte Moreno, Brian Sabean, Bob Elliott, Larry Lester, Steve Hirdt, Leslie Heaphy and Dick Kaegel.
The committee will likely have at least some turnover next time. Many of those voters are advanced in age, and it would seem to be a conflict of interest to have Pérez, one of Rose's most notable teammates, voting on whether he gets in or not.
From a statistics and accomplishment sense, there's no debate about Rose's place in baseball history. His 4,256 hits are the most ever, while he made 17 All-Star Game appearances, won three World Series titles, was voted the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year and took home the senior circuit's MVP in 1973. Whether voters will still weigh him betting on baseball and statutory rape allegations as heavily now that Rose is no longer alive remains to be seen.
