Pete Rose, former Phillies great, removed from MLB's permanently ineligible list
Former Philadelphia Phillies great and World Series champion Pete Rose was removed from MLB's permanently ineligible list Tuesday afternoon, making him eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred removed Rose, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and other deceased players from the list.
Rose, the MLB's all-time hits leader, died last September at the age of 83. He was banned from the MLB in 1989 for betting on games.
Rose spent the first part of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, where he won two World Series. But he came to Philly in 1979 and called Veterans Stadium home for five seasons until 1983, where he helped the franchise win its first World Series in 1980.
Rose slashed .291/.365/.361 with a .726 OPS and recorded 826 total hits in the five seasons with the Phillies. He went to the All-Star game in four of his five seasons in Philadelphia.
The Phillies said in a statement that they support Manfred's decision to remove Rose from the permanently ineligible list.
"As one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Pete made significant on-field contributions to the Phillies over his five seasons (1979-83) with the club, highlighted by our first World Series title in 1980," the Phillies said in a statement.
Rose's former teammate, former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt, said in a statement that Manfred's decision is a "great day for baseball."
"The ongoing question of whether Pete Rose should or shouldn't be in the Hall will be answered by a select panel in the next Classic Baseball Era Committee," Schmidt said. "Congratulations to Pete's family, his teammates, as well as his supporters who have waited many years for this opportunity for consideration."
Why Pete Rose was banned from baseball
Rose was banned from baseball in 1989 after an investigation found that he placed numerous bets on the Reds to win from 1985-87 while he played and managed the team.
Before Tuesday, Rose applied for reinstatement multiple times, but his request was never granted. In 1997, Rose applied for reinstatement and met with Commissioner Bud Selig in November 2002, but Selig never ruled on Rose's request.
In 2015, Manfred denied Rose's application for reinstatement.
So why did MLB finally decide to reinstate Rose? Kevin Cooney, of 97.5 The Fanatic, a Baseball Hall of Fame voter, said Manfred made the decision to reinstate Rose because MLB didn't want to deal with it anymore.
"This Rose situation has always kind of been a thorn, pardon the pun, on them and now they're able to move a little bit past it and dump it right back on the Hall of Fame's lap," Cooney said.
Pete Rose's complicated legacy
Rose, nicknamed "Charlie Hustle," was beloved by Phillies fans for embodying the city's grit and toughness with his style of play.
But Rose's baseball legacy was stained after he was banned from the sport for betting on games.
Rose was also accused of having a relationship with a minor in 1973 while he played with the Reds, which led the Phillies to scrap plans to induct him into the Wall of Fame in 2017.
In 2022, Rose appeared at Citizens Bank Park for the first time since he received a lifetime ban from baseball and dismissed questions of sexual misconduct.
