COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — After more than three decades, Pete Rose and other deceased players can now be considered for nomination into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has ruled that “permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual.”
Fans gave us their thoughts.
Mark Breshears of San Francisco said, “I think it’s been a long enough time, and he deserves it because he did a lot of great things.”
Jim Kramer of Sun City, Arizona said, “I like it. I think he was a great player. He made a mistake as a manager, and as long as he wasn’t betting on his own team. I’m OK with that.”
In 1989 Rose was caught betting on his own team, but Tucson, Arizona fan Trevor Parker said the culture surrounding betting on sports has changed as well.
“Especially the era we live in now with gambling in sports…it’s just who we are as humans. It’s OK,” he said.
Rose died from a heart condition last September at 83 years old.
Rose did say in an interview 10 days before his death, “I’ve come to the conclusion—I hope I’m wrong—that I’ll make the Hall of Fame after I die.”
Steven Premeaux is a baseball fan from Crowley, Louisiana.
He believes Rose never stood a chance of getting into the Hall of Fame while he was alive.
“He would have never been elected while he was alive. That was the punishment. I mean, and look…he hasn’t been dead a year, and they’re changing it. So, I think, like, I said, ‘Absolutely, they waited until he was deceased.'”
Other fans, like Joe Cutler, from Queen Creek, Arizona, thinks it’s about time to let him in.
“The actions were a long time ago. I’m sure there were others that may have done similar things but didn’t get caught. I would be more inclined to look at what did he do for baseball even after that,” Cutler said.
There are some fans like John Sharrer from Zelienople, Pennsylvania, who can forgive and forget, but don’t believe Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame.
“I believe in forgiveness and second chances. I just can’t get by that Rose lied for like 25 to 30 years. Why didn’t he fall on the sword? If he would have fallen on the sword, he’d probably be in the Hall right now,” he said.
In a statement from Hall of Fame Board Chair Jane Forbes Clark:
The National Baseball Hall of Fame has always maintained that anyone removed from Baseball’s permanently ineligible list will become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration. Major League Baseball’s decision to remove deceased individuals from the permanently ineligible list will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered. The Historical Overview Committee will develop the ballot of eight names for the Classic Baseball Era Committee – which evaluates candidates who made their greatest impact on the game prior to 1980 – to vote on when it meets next in December 2027.
After more than three decades, Pete Rose and other deceased players can now be considered for nomination into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
