Pete Rose is no longer banned from baseball. Neither is “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred reinstated them yesterday, making them FINALLY eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In fact, Manfred unbanned EVERYBODY who’s dead, saying, quote, “Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game.
“Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual.”
Rose was banned in 1989 for betting on games while he was managing the Cincinnati Reds.
“Shoeless” Joe and seven other members of the Chicago White Sox were banned for fixing the 1919 World Series.
Pete and Joe can’t get into the Hall of Fame until 2028 at the earliest. That’s because their greatest contributions to baseball came before 1980, meaning they’d have to be considered by the 12-person Classic Baseball Committee.
That committee doesn’t vote again until December of 2027.
