Topline
The late Pete Rose, Major League Baseball’s all-time hit leader, was reinstated by the league Tuesday in a move that makes him posthumously eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame over 35 years after he was banned from the sport for betting on games while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds.
Rose was banned from baseball in 1989.
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Key Facts
Rose, who died last year, was removed from the MLB’s ineligible list, with commissioner Rob Manfred saying permanent bans against players would expire following death.
Manfred added “a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” saying it is hard to think of a penalty with more of a deterrent effect “than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.”
The decision comes after an attorney for Rose filed a petition for reinstatement following the former baseball player’s death in September, hoping Rose could posthumously enter the Hall of Fame.
“Shoeless” Joe Jackson, who was banned from baseball in 1921 over the infamous “Black Sox” 1919 World Series gambling scandal, and 15 other late players were impacted by the MLB’s decision Tuesday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
