Major League Baseball (MLB) has reinstated Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, making them eligible for Hall of Fame consideration despite their careers being marred by sports betting scandals. The decision, announced tuesday, marks a meaningful shift in MLB’s policy regarding permanent ineligibility.

MLB Policy Change: A New Era?

The reinstatement comes after MLB modified its policy on permanent ineligibility, stipulating that prohibitions expire upon death. This change impacts several figures, including the Chicago “Black Sox” of 1919, former Philadelphia Phillies president William D. Cox, and former new York Giants outfielder Benny kauff.

The Timeline: Rose’s Long Road

• August 23, 1989: Rose received a permanent ban after an MLB examination concluded he bet on the Reds as a player and manager between 1985 and 1987.
• September 1997: Rose first requested reinstatement, but Commissioner Bud Selig never ruled on the request.
• 2015: Commissioner Rob Manfred rejected a reintegration petition, stating that Rose did not present credible evidence of a reconfigured life.
• September 30: Rose died at the age of 83.
• January 8: A new petition was filed by Jeffrey Lenkov, Rose’s lawyer.

Manfred’s Rationale

In a letter to Lenkov, Manfred explained his decision:

In my opinion, a decision must be made concerning the interpretation of the expression ineligible permanently in the light of the objectives and policies of rule 21, which are to: (1) protect the sport of individuals who represent a risk for the integrity of sport by prohibiting the participation of these individuals; and (2) create a deterrent effect which reduces the probability of future violations by others.

Manfred further elaborated:

In my opinion,once an individual died,the goals of rule 21 have been achieved. Obviously, a person who is no longer among us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. In addition, it is indeed challenging to conceive a penalty which has a more dissuasive effect then a life that lasts a lifetime without possibility of grace. Consequently, I concluded that permanent ineligibility ends with the death of the sanctioned individual, and mr. Rose will be removed from the list of people who are permanently ineligible.

Pete Rose: A Career Overview

Rose’s career highlights include:

• 17-time All-Star
• MLB record for hits (4,256)
• MLB record for games played (3,562)
• MLB record for at-bats (14,053)
• MLB record for singles (3,215)
• National League Rookie of the Year (1963)
• National League MVP (1973)
• World Series MVP (1975)

He also broke Ty Cobb’s previous record of 4,191 hits, established between 1905 and 1928.

“Shoeless” Joe Jackson: A Tragic Figure

Jackson, who had a career batting average of .356,was one of the eight “Black Sox” banned for allegedly fixing the 1919 world Series. He died in 1951 but remains a recognizable figure, partly due to his portrayal by Ray Liotta in the film “Field of Dreams.”

Hall of fame Eligibility: What’s Next?

under a 1991 rule, anyone on the permanently ineligible list cannot be considered for Hall of Fame election. jackson was considered twice by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, receiving 0.9% of votes in 1936 and 1% in 1940.

had rose not been banned, he would have been eligible for ballots from 1992 to 2006. He received 41 votes in 1992 and 243 out of 7,232 ballots (3.4%) over 15 years, votes that were not counted.

Hall of Fame’s Stance

Jane Forbes Clark, president of the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors, stated that players affected by Manfred’s decision would be taken into account.

The temple of renowned baseball has always maintained that anyone withdrawn from the list of permanent baseball ineligibles would become eligible to be considered for the renowned temple. The MLB decision to withdraw people who died from the list of permanent ineligibles will now examine the candidacy of these individuals in the fame of fame.

The candidates will be considered in December 2027 by the committee that reviews those whose contributions were made before 1980. A 10-person historical committee selects eight candidates for the ballot, which is then examined by 16 members during winter meetings, requiring a 75% vote for election. committee members include Hall of famers, team executives, and media/historians.

Trump’s Involvement: A Presidential Pardon?

Former president Donald Trump had expressed interest in pardoning Rose, though the implications of such a pardon remain unclear. Rose pleaded guilty to tax fraud in 1990, admitting to failing to declare $354,968 over four years. He was sentenced to five months in prison,a $50,000 fine,and 1,000 hours of community service.