Context:

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has removed Pete Rose, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson, and other deceased players from the league's permanently ineligible list, making them eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. This decision has caused uproar among baseball fans, as many believe it is a shame that Rose, MLB's all-time hits leader, was not reinstated before his death in 2024. Pete Rose's gambling on his own team, the Cincinnati Reds, as both a player and manager, led to his lifetime ban, despite his insistence that he never bet against his team. The removal of the ban posthumously has sparked debates about the integrity of the game and the appropriateness of the timing. President Trump, who had previously announced a pardon for Rose, criticized MLB for not honoring Rose while he was alive, while others, like sports host Chris Rose, argued that Pete Rose should have taken responsibility for his actions earlier to avoid such a fate.

Dive Deeper:

• Commissioner Rob Manfred's decision to remove Pete Rose and others from MLB's permanently ineligible list now allows them eligibility for the Baseball Hall of Fame, sparking significant debate and fan uproar.

• Pete Rose, known as 'Charlie Hustle,' was banned for gambling on games involving his team, the Cincinnati Reds, although he maintained he never bet against them. This ban has been a contentious issue in baseball history.

• Despite his status as MLB's all-time hits leader, Pete Rose was never reinstated during his lifetime, and his posthumous eligibility for the Hall of Fame has disappointed many who believe he deserved recognition while alive.

• Chris Rose and other commentators argue Pete Rose could have avoided his fate had he acknowledged his actions earlier, criticizing his late admission of gambling as opportunistic rather than sincere.

• President Trump criticized MLB for lacking the courage to induct Rose into the Hall of Fame while he was alive, pointing out that Rose was a better player than many already in the Hall. Trump's previous pardon of Rose in March added to the controversy.

• The decision also affects other players like 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson, whose involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal has left his Hall of Fame chances slim, despite being removed from the ineligible list.

• Manfred justified the decision by arguing that deceased players no longer pose a threat to the game's integrity, suggesting that a lifetime penalty loses its deterrent effect after death.