Pete Rose will not be reinstated by Major League Baseball
By Tim Haberin
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has decided not to reinstate Pete Rose from his lifetime ban from the game of baseball, according to an official statement.
Rose received the ban in 1989 in light of evidence that he bet on baseball contained in an investigative reported submitted by federal prosecutor John Dowd. He would eventually admit to these allegations in his 2004 autobiography, although he remained adamant that he only gambled on the game as a manager and never as an active player.
Rose’s version of events received renewed scrutiny in June of this year, however, when a report from ESPN’s Outside the Lines presented new evidence that Rose bet on games while playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 1986, his final season in the big leagues.
Though his predecessor Bud Selig never relented on Rose’s punishment, Manfred agreed to hear his latest plea for reinstatement from an unbiased perspective. The two met on September 24 to discuss the issue, which Manfred describes in his statement:
"“During our meeting, Mr. Rose told me that he bet extensively on Cincinnati Reds games in 1987. He could not, however, remember many facts established by the Dowd Report that demonstrate conclusively his involvement in betting on Baseball in 1985 and 1986, while he was an active player. He made assertions concerning his betting habits that were directly contradicted by documentary evidence (the Bertolini Notebook) secured by my office following the publication of the ESPN story on June 23, 2015 (footnote No. 1). And, significantly, he told me that currently he bets recreationally and legally on horses and sports, including Baseball.”"
The admission that he still gambles on sporting events (albeit legally) probably hurt Rose’s case more than he realized. If he stood any chance of winning the commissioner over to his side, he would have needed to show legitimate remorse for his actions and proof that he had amended the behavior that landed him in trouble in the first place. Manfred was evidently not swayed.
The commissioner additionally noted that Rose’s eligibility for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame is not up to him or the league. Only the Hall of Fame itself can determine if it will open its doors to the disgraced former star, something it has shown little desire to do in the past. Rose will be able to continue participating in ceremonial MLB events, though, with the league’s permission.
As MLB’s all-time leader with 4,256 career hits, it seems a shame that Rose won’t be able to take his place among other legends of the game. But this was likely his last chance to change the narrative, and he simply didn’t do enough to garner sympathy from the powers that be. Unless there is an unforeseen major development in the future, it’s hard to see Rose’s case receiving another review.
The debate will surely continue as it has for the last 26 years, but this latest setback to Rose’s legacy truly feels like a damning one.