Pete Rose had to die to finally get a shot at the Hall of Fame. He’s been trying to get off the permanent ineligible list for 36 years. He broke the cardinal rule of Major League Baseball. He bet on Cincinnati Reds games while he was the manager. He says he only bet for them to win. After he got caught and banned in 1989, he continued to deny the gambling until his 2004 autobiography when he finally admitted it. There is a sign in every Major League clubhouse which warns against betting on baseball. Rose knew it was wrong, but did it anyway. Rose died in September 2024. He was 83.
Now MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has decided Rose should be eligible for the Hall of Fame because he’s dead. Here is the ridiculous reasoning, “Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. Moreover, it’s 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.” He sent this in a letter to Rose’s lawyer. Manfred is also throwing in players from the 1919 Black Sox scandal who bet on the World Series. They’re now eligible.
This only means Rose can now appear on a Hall of Fame ballot. The decision will be made on several levels by Hall officials. First, he has to be nominated by the Hall of Fame’s Historical Overview Committee which is selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association and approved by the Hall’s board. This Overview Committee will come up with eight names who impacted the game before 1980. The vote won’t happen until December 2027.
Manfred says that since Rose is dead he …”cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game.” Rose broke the rule that cuts at the very heart of the integrity of the game. Manfred is saying now that you’re dead we’ll give you the chance to get into baseball’s most scared place. Rose had no integrity. Rose was out for money. The millions he was making was not enough. I wonder what those players in the Hall think of sharing a place with a guy who didn’t play by the rules. I know there are plenty of players in the Hall of Fame who were less than admirable people, but they got in without breaking the rules.
There is no question Rose was one of the greatest players of all time. He has a list of records, the biggest being the all time hit record. Honesty and integrity should mean more than getting into the record book. We took our sons to the Hall of Fame when they were young. Families and kids make a visit to the Hall a special occasion. This is where men get recognized for their accomplishments. I couldn’t imagine having to point to Pete Rose’s plaque and explain to my sons he was great, but broke the rules and lied about it. Baseball is now saying dying is the only way he could get in. How do you explain that?
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