Calls Escalate Against Rob Manfred After MLB's Pete Rose Decision
For Major League Baseball, Tuesday's news cycle produced a monumental piece of legislation. Less than eight months after passing away, Pete Rose — owner of 4,256 hits — officially received eligibility for the MLB Hall of Fame.
Announced by the Office of the Commissioner Rob Manfred, Rose's lifetime ban from baseball was lifted on May 13, 2025 alongside fellow-ostracized star, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, who was a member of the notorious 1919 Chicago Black Sox team.
Pete Rose — who leads MLB with 4,256 total hits — addresses the crowd at Great American Ball Park in June of 2017.Sam Greene/The Enquirer via Imagn Images
Tuesday's change in status for Rose and Jackson (and potentially others) came after attention was called to the specific details of remaining on MLB's permanently ineligible list after death.
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Per MLB.com, members of Pete Rose's family "made it incumbent upon the Office of the Commissioner to reach a policy decision on this unprecedented issue in the modern era as Mr. Rose is the first person banned after the tenure of Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to die while still on the ineligible list."
Major League Baseball's official statement continued with, "Commissioner Manfred has concluded that MLB's policy shall be that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual."
For reference, Rose's exile from baseball was instituted in 1989, when "Charlie Hustle" was managing his beloved Cincinnati Reds (see Dowd Report). Since then, the entire situation has been one of the most hotly debated quagmires in modern sports—especially with the recent rise of digital sports betting.
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As noted, Rose succumbed to a heart disease in September of 2024, living until the age of 83.
Related: Yankees Must Trade For $44 Million Rockies All-Star After Oswaldo Cabrera Injury
Tuesday's hall-of-fame news for the Rose family comes not-so-long after Rose's death, which has left many supporters of the game feeling particularly disturbed, especially with Commissioner Manfred.
One X (formerly known as Twitter) user wrote, "Just when you think Rob Manfred can't screw up the sport more, he strikes again. What a total disgrace this decision is." Another chimed in with, "Manfred is such a coward. The amount of inductees that couldn't pass the 'character test' in the HOF would empty a few hallways. What a profile in courage."
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Scrolling further, the comments don't appear to get any friendlier for MLB's current commissioner. "Just disgraceful by the MLB and Rob Manfred. He should've been added a long time ago. Waited until after he died and just something that people do all the time now. MLB just keeps ruining itself," a user directed at ESPN's post on the matter.
Related: Pete Rose to be Honored By Reds
In his statement, Manfred denounces any personal responsibility with the Rose situation, citing actions of previous commissioners and that of the Rose family as grounds for the historic eligibility reversal.
Throughout 24 MLB campaigns playing for the Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos, Rose was among the most polarizing figures in sports. However, his tenacity on the baseball diamond and will to win could never be denied. He earned three World Series titles as an integral figure on the "Big Red Machine."
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Of course, Rose is not officially enshrined in Cooperstown just yet. According to MLB.com, "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."
Related: Major League Baseball Unbans Phillies' Pete Rose After 35 Years
Rose was divisive on the field, and the recent news of his posthumous eligibility is having a similar effect—some are overjoyed, some are angry and many are confused.
As for the family of the MLB Commissioner who originally banned Rose? Bart Giamatti's son, Marcus Giamatti, staunchly told USA TODAY Sports, "It's a serious dark day for baseball."
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