Rob Manfred: MLB's Decision To Reinstate Pete Rose ‘overdue'
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred admitted that baseball is 'living up to the deal they originally made with Pete Rose' when he defended his move to reinstate Rose, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and other banished players.
The decision, Manfred said, was 'overdue,' when he pulled the banned players off of MLB's permanently ineligible list, which created a pathway for Rose and Jackson's induction into baseball's Hall of Fame.
Manfred said during an interview on 'CBS Mornings" that the reinstatements are 'a matter of logic" because 'there's no reason to have a person who has passed away still on that list.'
Manfred acknowledged that Rose is 'a part of the history of our game.' The commissioner added, 'Every other player, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, has been considered by the Hall of Fame and they've made a decision. I saw no reason to leave Pete Rose out there as one of one, no consideration.'
Manfred delved into the ramifications of Rose's banishment that the all-time hit king agreed upon in a settlement with then-commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti in August 1989.
"I think what people don't realize is Pete Rose wasn't disciplined by commissioner Giamatti," Manfred said. "He entered a settlement agreement with the league. At the time they entered into that settlement, he went on the permanently ineligible list knowing that the rules allowed the Hall of Fame to consider him. Commissioner Giamatti went out, had a press conference the day of the settlement and he was asked about the Hall of Fame and he said this settlement should have nothing to do with the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame should consider Pete Rose under its existing rules. So I see the decision as baseball living up to the deal that they originally made with Pete Rose."
In 1991, the Hall of Fame enacted a rule that any player on a banned list would be ineligible for the Hall of Fame. It should be noted that Rose's name has never appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot.
Manfred said his decision to reinstate Rose was challenging, highlighting the emotions from the fans.
"Yeah, it's a difficult decision because people are passionate about issues like this," Manfred said. "When you come up the side of the business that I came up, living up to your agreements is a really important thing and this was overdue, in my opinion."
On the heels of Manfred's decision, Jane Forbes Clark, chairwoman of the board of the Hall of Fame, said Rose, Jackson and others will be considered by the Historical Overview Committee, which will "develop the ballot of eight names for the Classic Baseball Era Committee ... to vote on when it next meets in December 2027."
Rose and Jackson would need 12 of 16 votes to earn induction into the Hall of Fame.
Manfred's decision to reinstate the banished ballplayers followed President Donald Trump saying in March that he'll posthumously pardon Rose.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday night that Rose 'shouldn't have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING.'
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