In a landmark decision, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has officially removed Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and other deceased players from the league’s “permanently ineligible” list. First reported by ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., the move reopens the door for Hall of Fame consideration based solely on players' on-field accomplishments.
Rose, MLB’s all-time hits leader with 4,256, was banned in 1989 for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Jackson, a central figure in the 1919 Black Sox scandal, had been barred for helping fix the World Series. Both are now eligible for enshrinement into Cooperstown, although Manfred emphasized that the ban remains in place for living individuals to maintain its deterrent effect.
“Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” Manfred wrote in a letter responding to a petition for Rose’s reinstatement.
This policy shift raises an important point: Cooperstown is not a moral hall of saints—it’s a museum that exists to tell the full story of baseball. And that includes players whose personal actions were controversial, but whose talent and accomplishments helped shape the sport.
Rose’s accolades—three World Series titles, 17 All-Star selections, a 1973 MVP award, and his iconic “Charlie Hustle” persona—are undeniable. So are the scandals, from gambling to a 1990 tax fraud conviction. But all of it is part of baseball history.
Now, with MLB’s reversal, the Hall of Fame can finally consider Rose and others on merit—not morality. It’s time to tell the whole story—flaws, greatness, and all—and let the public decide what legacy these players truly leave behind.
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