Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Tuesday that Pete Rose, ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson and other deceased players have been removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list. The decision clears the path for the sport’s all-time hits leader and the storied Chicago White Sox star to be considered for the Hall of Fame.
Manfred ruled that MLB’s punishment of banned individuals ends upon their death. “Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” Manfred wrote in a letter to attorney Jeffrey M Lenkov, who petitioned for Rose’s removal in January.
ESPN was first to report the news of the commissioner’s historic decision.
Rose accepted his ban in 1989 after an MLB investigation found he bet on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Jackson and seven other White Sox players were banned for life in 1921 for allegedly fixing the 1919 World Series. Rose died in September at age 83; Jackson passed away in 1951.
The ruling also removes 16 other deceased players and one deceased owner from MLB’s banned list, including Jackson’s former teammates Eddie Cicotte and George ‘Buck’ Weaver.
Rose and Jackson are now eligible for the Hall of Fame, with their cases expected to be reviewed by the Classic Baseball Era Committee in December 2027. Both would need 12 of 16 votes for induction, meaning the earliest possible enshrinement would be summer 2028.
Lenkov, who led the petition for Rose’s reinstatement, called the decision “a long journey”. He plans to meet with Hall of Fame officials to discuss Rose’s candidacy. “Reds Nation will not only be able to celebrate Pete’s legacy, but now optimistically be able to look forward to the possibility that Pete will join other baseball immortals,” Lenkov said.
The decision has sparked debate. John Dowd, who led MLB’s original investigation into Rose, criticized the move, saying the ban’s significance should not be erased after death. “There’s no difference with him being dead – it’s about behavior, conduct, and reputation,” Dowd told ESPN.
Rose’s career remains unmatched, with 4,256 hits, three World Series titles, and a .303 lifetime batting average. Jackson, despite his involvement in the 1919 scandal, finished with a career .356 average – the fourth highest in MLB history.
Rose and Jackson’s eligibility for Cooperstown now rests with Hall of Fame voters, reigniting debates about integrity, redemption, and legacy in America’s pastime.
