MLB ban on Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson to be lifted

The hit king and baseball pariah could be eligible for Hall of Fame induction.

On Tuesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred reinstated deceased players Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson from he permanently ineligible list, paving the way for them to be possibly inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Manfred’s reasoning was that the bans were meant to be lifetime bans, and upon the deaths of the individuals, the ban should be lifted.

“In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served. Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. 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.”

Both players were placed on the permanent ineligible list for their implications with gambling on baseball. Jackson was part of the notorious 1919 White Sox, known as the “Black Sox” for allegedly conspiring to lose the World Series in a game-fixing scandal with gamblers. Eight players, including Jackson, were indicted by a grand jury by acquitted at trial. Kenesaw Mountain Landis, appointed to become the first commissioner due to the scandal, nonetheless banned all eight players permanently.

Jackson confessed to taking $5,000 for the fix, but later recanted and professed his innocence. He hit .375 for the series and swore in testimony he never interacted with gamblers, although he knew about the fix from other players. Jackson was a career .356 hitter with 1,772 career hits in 13 seasons, finishing second in MVP voting in 1913.

Pete Rose is known as “The Hit King” for breaking Ty Cobb’s record for most career hits. Rose ended his career with 4,256 hits over 24 seasons. He was Rookie of the Year in 1963, MVP in 1973, a 17-time All-Star, and a three-time batting champion. Known as “Charlie Hustle” - a nickname given derisively by teammates at first but later used with pride by Rose - he played with reckless abandon on the field. He won two titles with “The Big Red Machine” in Cincinnati, then a third with the Phillies over the Royals in the 1980 World Series.

In 1989, MLB began an investigation into Rose after allegations he had bet on baseball while serving as manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Investigator John Dowd found evidence Rose had bet on 52 games in 1987, a violation of Rule 21, which forbids wagers by any player, umpire, club, league official, or employee on baseball games. Rose agreed to being placed on the permanent ineligible list so long as MLB agreed to make no formal finding with the gambling allegations, allowing Rose to apply for reinstatement after one year.

At the time, the Baseball Hall of Fame had no explicit rule against permanently ineligible players being eligible for induction, and Jackson had been on two BBWAA ballots before, earning very little support. But in 1991, the Hall of Fame voted to formally exclude players on the permanently ineligible list. Rose applied for reinstatement throughout the years, unsuccessfully appealing to commissioners Fay Vincent, Bud Selig, and Manfred. Selig at one point offered an opportunity at reinstatement if Rose would admit to betting on the game and cease all gambling and casino appearances, but Rose would not accept the deal. He died last year at the age of 83.

Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark says Manfred’s decision will allow Rose and Jackson to be considered for induction. The Historical Overview Committee will develop an eight-person ballot for the Classic Baseball Era Committee in December 2027. Nominees would have to be listed on 12 of the 16 ballots to win induction.