MLB removes Pete Rose, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson from ineligible list in decision that can pave way for Hall of Fame
Pete Rose now has a path to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. (Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred took a major step on Tuesday in allowing both Pete Rose and 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson into the baseball Hall of Fame.
Manfred officially removed Rose and Jackson, and all other deceased players, from MLB's permanently ineligible list on Tuesday. Manfred ruled that the league's punishment of banned individuals now officially ends after their deaths.
"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 earlier this year. "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."
Advertisement
Presumably, the move now opens the door for the Baseball Hall of Fame to induct both Rose and Jackson in the future. That could happen as soon as 2028.
Jackson and seven other members of the Chicago White Sox were banned from the league in 1921 for their role in fixing the 1919 World Series. Rose was banned in 1989 after an investigation determined that he bet on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. In 1991, the Hall of Fame determined that any player on MLB's permanently ineligible list would also be ineligible for induction into the Hall of Fame — something that became known as the 'Pete Rose rule.'
Rose died in September at 83. Jackson died in 1951.
Many people, including President Donald Trump, have advocated for Rose to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in recent years. Rose actually called it just 10 days before his death, too.
"I've come to the conclusion — I hope I'm wrong — that I'll make the Hall of Fame after I die," he said. "Which I totally disagree with, because the Hall of Fame is for two reasons: your fans and your family ... It's for your family if you're here. It's for your fans if you're here. Not if you're 10 feet under."
Advertisement
Rose is still MLB's all-time leader in hits, games played, at-bats, singles and outs. He won the World Series three times in his career, twice with the Reds an once with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Rose repeatedly had paths back to baseball after his scandal, and was reportedly offered an opportunity for reinstatement if he came clean and stopped associating himself with gambling. But, he declined. Rose eventually admitted to betting on his own team while a manager, and he was a mainstay in casinos until his death.
Trump, however, got behind Rose and said earlier this year that he would offer him a complete pardon. It's unclear what the pardon would cover, though Rose served five months in federal prison in 1990 on tax crimes. Manfred called Trump on Tuesday to discuss his decision, according to ESPN.
Jackson held a career batting average of .356, which is the fourth-highest in MLB history. Jackson, though he accepted money to throw the 1919 World Series, still batted .375 in that series, didn't make a single error and hit the only home run.
Advertisement
Manfred's decision on Tuesday officially removed 16 players — Rose, Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandill, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, Lefty Williams, Joe Gedeon, Gene Paulette, Benny Kauff, Lee Magee, Phil Douglas, Cozy Dolan and Jimmy O'Connell — and one owner — former Phillies owner William Cox — from the ineligible list.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
40 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Knicks shed stability of Thibodeau era by seeking a new coach after they had gotten good
Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau's firing brought back some of the confusion and chaos the New York Knicks had seemingly left behind. After an era of stability and more success than they had enjoyed in a quarter of a century, the Knicks opened a coaching search few could have predicted when they fired Thibodeau on Tuesday. 'When I first saw it, I thought it was one of those fake AI things. No way. There's no way possible,' Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. Coaching searches weren't unusual in New York for much of the 2000s, but the Knicks weren't winning then. This time, they had just reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years before losing to Carlisle's team, and were an early favorite to do it again next year. So changing course brought swift and strong reaction from a fan base that seemed satisfied. Who decided Thibodeau had to go? And why? 'That seemed like an unfortunate call that the boss made, certainly for him,' tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe, a Knicks fan, said while calling the French Open quarterfinals for TNT. But which boss? Direct answers may not come. Knicks leadership, from owner James Dolan to team president Leon Rose, doesn't do interviews with the reporters who cover the team. So the only hint may have come in the team's statement announcing the firing, in which Rose said the organization was 'singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans.' That means the view was that Thibodeau was good enough to get the Knicks close but not all the way. Rose was friends with Thibodeau long before hiring him in 2020 and giving him a three-year contract extension last summer. So immediate speculation was that Dolan, who at times has been viewed as meddlesome and unpopular with his team's fans, must have ordered the ouster. But a person with knowledge of the decision, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details were to remain private, said Rose made the call with Dolan's approval. Rose conducted a thorough search five years ago, even though Thibodeau had been viewed as a favorite because of his relationship both to Rose and the organization as an assistant to Jeff Van Gundy in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Van Gundy has returned to coaching as an assistant with the Clippers, if the Knicks wanted to gauge interest in a reunion. Michael Malone, who led Denver to the 2023 NBA title, is another former Knicks assistant who is available, as is Johnnie Bryant, who was beaten out Wednesday by Jordan Ott for Phoenix's head coaching position. Rick Pitino, Dan Hurley and John Calipari are all big names with ties to the New York area if Rose wanted to go the college route, and the retired Jay Wright coached current Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges on national championship teams at Villanova. Brunson's father, Rick, was an assistant on Thibodeau's staff, if Rose wanted to promote the team captain's father. The Knicks had 12 different coaches between the time Van Gundy resigned early in the 2001-02 season and Thibodeau's hiring, and they won just one playoff series. Thibodeau won four in the last three seasons. McEnroe thought that earned Thibodeau another year, a common reaction to his firing. The Knicks decided otherwise, sending Rose into a search with much higher consequences than last time. Back then, on the heels of seven straight losing seasons, he just needed a coach who could win some games. Now he needs one who can deliver a championship. 'I mean, I'm not really in that situation, but the thing I can say is Thibs did a lot for New York," said Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, who played in New York last season. 'He did a lot just building that culture over there. So I think I have a lot of respect for him.' ___ AP Sports Writer Cliff Brunt in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA: recommended
40 minutes ago
Knicks shed stability of Thibodeau era by seeking a new coach after they had gotten good
NEW YORK -- Tom Thibodeau's firing brought back some of the confusion and chaos the New York Knicks had seemingly left behind. After an era of stability and more success than they had enjoyed in a quarter of a century, the Knicks opened a coaching search few could have predicted when they fired Thibodeau on Tuesday. 'When I first saw it, I thought it was one of those fake AI things. No way. There's no way possible,' Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. Coaching searches weren't unusual in New York for much of the 2000s, but the Knicks weren't winning then. This time, they had just reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years before losing to Carlisle's team, and were an early favorite to do it again next year. So changing course brought swift and strong reaction from a fan base that seemed satisfied. Who decided Thibodeau had to go? And why? 'That seemed like an unfortunate call that the boss made, certainly for him,' tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe, a Knicks fan, said while calling the French Open quarterfinals for TNT. But which boss? Direct answers may not come. Knicks leadership, from owner James Dolan to team president Leon Rose, doesn't do interviews with the reporters who cover the team. So the only hint may have come in the team's statement announcing the firing, in which Rose said the organization was 'singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans.' That means the view was that Thibodeau was good enough to get the Knicks close but not all the way. Rose was friends with Thibodeau long before hiring him in 2020 and giving him a three-year contract extension last summer. So immediate speculation was that Dolan, who at times has been viewed as meddlesome and unpopular with his team's fans, must have ordered the ouster. But a person with knowledge of the decision, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details were to remain private, said Rose made the call with Dolan's approval. Rose conducted a thorough search five years ago, even though Thibodeau had been viewed as a favorite because of his relationship both to Rose and the organization as an assistant to Jeff Van Gundy in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Van Gundy has returned to coaching as an assistant with the Clippers, if the Knicks wanted to gauge interest in a reunion. Michael Malone, who led Denver to the 2023 NBA title, is another former Knicks assistant who is available, as is Johnnie Bryant, who was beaten out Wednesday by Jordan Ott for Phoenix's head coaching position. Rick Pitino, Dan Hurley and John Calipari are all big names with ties to the New York area if Rose wanted to go the college route, and the retired Jay Wright coached current Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges on national championship teams at Villanova. Brunson's father, Rick, was an assistant on Thibodeau's staff, if Rose wanted to promote the team captain's father. The Knicks had 12 different coaches between the time Van Gundy resigned early in the 2001-02 season and Thibodeau's hiring, and they won just one playoff series. Thibodeau won four in the last three seasons. McEnroe thought that earned Thibodeau another year, a common reaction to his firing. The Knicks decided otherwise, sending Rose into a search with much higher consequences than last time. Back then, on the heels of seven straight losing seasons, he just needed a coach who could win some games. Now he needs one who can deliver a championship. 'I mean, I'm not really in that situation, but the thing I can say is Thibs did a lot for New York," said Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, who played in New York last season. 'He did a lot just building that culture over there. So I think I have a lot of respect for him.'
Associated Press
43 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Knicks shed stability of Thibodeau era by seeking a new coach after they had gotten good
NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau's firing brought back some of the confusion and chaos the New York Knicks had seemingly left behind. After an era of stability and more success than they had enjoyed in a quarter of a century, the Knicks opened a coaching search few could have predicted when they fired Thibodeau on Tuesday . 'When I first saw it, I thought it was one of those fake AI things. No way. There's no way possible,' Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. Coaching searches weren't unusual in New York for much of the 2000s, but the Knicks weren't winning then. This time, they had just reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years before losing to Carlisle's team, and were an early favorite to do it again next year. So changing course brought swift and strong reaction from a fan base that seemed satisfied. Who decided Thibodeau had to go? And why? 'That seemed like an unfortunate call that the boss made, certainly for him,' tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe, a Knicks fan, said while calling the French Open quarterfinals for TNT. But which boss? Direct answers may not come. Knicks leadership, from owner James Dolan to team president Leon Rose, doesn't do interviews with the reporters who cover the team. So the only hint may have come in the team's statement announcing the firing, in which Rose said the organization was 'singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans.' That means the view was that Thibodeau was good enough to get the Knicks close but not all the way. Rose was friends with Thibodeau long before hiring him in 2020 and giving him a three-year contract extension last summer. So immediate speculation was that Dolan, who at times has been viewed as meddlesome and unpopular with his team's fans, must have ordered the ouster. But a person with knowledge of the decision, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details were to remain private, said Rose made the call with Dolan's approval. Rose conducted a thorough search five years ago, even though Thibodeau had been viewed as a favorite because of his relationship both to Rose and the organization as an assistant to Jeff Van Gundy in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Van Gundy has returned to coaching as an assistant with the Clippers, if the Knicks wanted to gauge interest in a reunion. Michael Malone, who led Denver to the 2023 NBA title, is another former Knicks assistant who is available, as is Johnnie Bryant, who was beaten out Wednesday by Jordan Ott for Phoenix's head coaching position . Rick Pitino, Dan Hurley and John Calipari are all big names with ties to the New York area if Rose wanted to go the college route, and the retired Jay Wright coached current Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges on national championship teams at Villanova. Brunson's father, Rick, was an assistant on Thibodeau's staff, if Rose wanted to promote the team captain's father. The Knicks had 12 different coaches between the time Van Gundy resigned early in the 2001-02 season and Thibodeau's hiring, and they won just one playoff series. Thibodeau won four in the last three seasons. McEnroe thought that earned Thibodeau another year, a common reaction to his firing. The Knicks decided otherwise, sending Rose into a search with much higher consequences than last time. Back then, on the heels of seven straight losing seasons, he just needed a coach who could win some games. Now he needs one who can deliver a championship. 'I mean, I'm not really in that situation, but the thing I can say is Thibs did a lot for New York,' said Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, who played in New York last season. 'He did a lot just building that culture over there. So I think I have a lot of respect for him.' ___ AP Sports Writer Cliff Brunt in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA:
