I am going to start out by saying this article may get a little opinionated for some people but some things have to be said about what Rob Manfred, the Commissioner of the MLB, released as the new policy. The policy states “permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual”. Family members from Pete Rose submitted the application to the Office of the Commissioner stating/asking if bans will remain since the player(s) are deceased? The new policy directly impacts a total of 17 players with Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson being the most popular players coming off the ineligible list due to being deceased. While I am glad that this new policy was miraculously approved, let’s talk about how I feel about this policy. In this article I am going to center my response around Pete Rose due to his popularity and his rightful spot in the Hall of Fame.

Leading off let’s discuss a little bit of who Pete Rose was as a player. Rose technically played the most games as a first baseman, however during his 24 year career he started games in outfield (left field, center field, and right field), third base, and second base. His nickname “Charlie Hustle” definitely suited him well and in today’s game he was the ultimate utility player amassing 500 starts at a total of five different positions. Rose was a switch hitter with multiple accolades including 17 time All-Star, two gold glove winner, NL Rookie of the Year winner, three time NL batting champion, three time World Series champion, World Series MVP, Silver Slugger winner, and Roberto Clemente Award winner. He also hold two MLB records still to this day, most career hits with 4,256 and most games played 3,562 which is absolutely unheard of in today’s MLB. Yes, I know looking at that definite Hall of Famer right? Wrong, Pete Rose unfortunately was banned the August of 1989 for gambling on baseball. This will be the point where the heavily opinionated part comes into play. 

Growing up my dad would always talk about how great Pete Rose when he watched him in his prime. I believe our generation if your parents watched baseball then you knew all about Pete Rose and how wrong it was that he was not in the Hall of Fame as a player. I mean looking at the stats who would deny Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame? That’s right, nobody would question it at all. However, while he was managing the Reds he gambled on games which was definitely against the game of baseball. Yes, I know what Rose did was wrong but in my thinking that’s when he was a manager not as a player, but supposedly there was a notebook found which had information he might of done it while he was playing. I do not buy it, I would even go to venture that the MLB had something to do with that notebook that way they could get around all the fans saying he should be in as a player. Pete Rose should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer no questions asked based on the stats he produced while “playing” the game and not held out due to what he did outside his playing days. Rose is one of the best players to pick up a baseball in MLB history, yet his history is tainted by betting on baseball after his playing career was over. Alright, enough ranting about Pete being in the Hall of Fame I just wanted to defend myself and my opinions. 

In ending, getting back to the policy the MLB just put into place that permanently banned players are off that list once they pass away in my opinion is complete bullshit. On the surface it looks like they waited until one of the most polarizing players in MLB history (and most controversial) to pass away so they (MLB) could look like the good guys and removing him from the list. Miraculously this will allow Pete Rose to be eligible for the Hall of Fame in July 2028 if he were to be inducted. Rose passed away on September 30th 2024 you mean to tell me the man hasn’t suffered enough and you could not have took him off the banned list, no the MLB took the coward way out and waited until after he died and his family sent the application to have his name and others removed once they player has passed away. Yes, was this new policy the right thing to do? Absolutely, I just feel it was a little to late and should have been done way before when the fans who grew up watching or hearing about Pete Rose would appreciate the gesture by MLB when he was alive. I love the game of baseball and I understand keeping the integrity of the game, I grew up in the steroid era with Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds just to name a few players that will also never see the Hall of Fame but that is for another article.