MLB commissioner mulls over petition to rescind posthumous ban upon Pete Rose
With a surprising turn of events, it seems that the Major League Baseball Commissioner, Rob Manfred, is considering a petition to have the infamous Pete Rose removed from the league's ineligible list after his passing.
A secretive source close to the situation spilled the beans to the Associated Press, revealing that the talks about Rose's reinstatement have been in the works. The news initially broke on ESPN, as they reported about a reinstatement petition filed by Jeffrey Lenkov, a Southern California lawyer who once represented Rose.
Lenkov, Rose's former attorney, met with Rose's daughter, Commissioner Manfred, and MLB executive Pat Courtney in December. The petition was submitted on January 8. Despite reaching out to Lenkov for comment, there's been no word yet.
Pete Rose, a 17-time All-Star and 1973 National League MVP, holds the major league records for games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890). He also tops the leaderboard with 4,256 hits. Apart from his notable stats, Rose is remembered for his roles in three World Series-winning teams.
However, an MLB investigation headed by lawyer John M. Dowd found that Rose had placed numerous bets on the Cincinnati Reds, his own team, from 1985-87. Consequently, he agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989.
Lenkov aspires to have Rose's name taken off the permanently ineligible list. He explained to ESPN that such a move would make it possible for his family to exalt the beloved player to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, an honor Rose yearned for before his passing. Lenkov shared that his meeting with Manfred in December was a positive experience, with the Commissioner being respectful, gracious, and active throughout their conversation.
Under current Hall of Fame rules, anyone on the permanently ineligible list cannot be considered for election to the Hall of Fame. Following Trumps’ announcement regarding the pardon of Pete Rose, it will be interesting to see how this unfolds and whether the rules will be reconsidered.
In the past, Rose applied for reinstatement in 1997 and met with Commissioner Bud Selig in 2002, but a decision was never made on his request. Manfred, however, rejected Rose's 2015 application for reinstatement.
Recently, President Trump expressed his plans to issue a full pardon for Pete Rose. In a social media post, Trump indicated that while Rose did gamble on baseball, he only bet on his own team to win. Interestingly, Trump's post did not mention Rose's tax case from 1990, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns and spent five months in prison. Trump stated that he would sign Pete Rose's pardon within the coming weeks.
It remains to be seen whether Trump's pardon plan will have any impact on Manfred's decision regarding Rose's status in the Hall of Fame and the MLB. Though there's seemingly no direct connection between the two, the discussions held by Trump and Manfred in April 2025 might hint at a possible influence on the commissioner's decision. As of now, conjecture reigns supreme on the potential outcome for baseball's hit king, Pete Rose.
[1] https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35060720[5] https://sports.yahoo.com/donald-trump-says-he-ll-pardon-pete-rose-over-next-few-weeks-203937583.html
In light of the ongoing discussions, it appears that sports-betting could potentially play a role in Pete Rose's posthumous removal from MLB's ineligible list, as talks about his reinstatement have been initiated. If this happens, it might also open possibilities for Rose's induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, given his remarkable sports achievements in baseball, such as his records in games played, plate appearances, and hits.
