The MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, finally removed Pete Rose and ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson from the ineligibility list to join their peers down in Cooperstown.
ESPN broke the news that after years of disagreements, debates, and very differing opinions, they decided the two players who got banned for the “mortal” sin of gambling are finally going to be eligible for the sport’s coveted Hall of Fame. Although Pete Rose and Joe Jackson’s bans are technically for the same crime, their circumstances could not be any different, and fans find it completely unacceptable that it took this long for Joe Jackson to finally get his due.
First of all, with Pete “Charlie Hustle” Rose — his case of gambling is clear-cut. In 1991, he was banned from the sport for gambling on his team, which is certainly a lack of sportsmanship and is always frowned upon by peers. If you can throw a game, then you don’t respect the game. Across all sports, that’s always been a mark of shame. And while Rose had denied his claim for years, ESPN found undeniable evidence that Rose was indeed guilty of what he was accused of.
Furthermore, Rose was never particularly apologetic. While later on in his life, Rose finally admitted to gambling on his own game, he was still arrogant about the entire matter and made it clear that it’s not like he was Al Capone. Being banned from Baseball is not exactly the same as being sent to Alcatraz, but it’s needless to say, baseball fans were not entirely impressed by his claim to a ticket to Cooperstown.
But with Joe “Shoeless” Jackson, the public feels an entirely different way. Jackson played in the league way before World War 1, and his ascension from illiterate cotton mill worker to baseball star is the stuff of dreams. He is the embodiment of the American dream. Even his story about playing baseball without shoes just expresses how Jackson was salt of the earth.
However, what makes Jackson’s case more unique is that his case of gambling is more complex. It’s believed that he was persuaded to sign a waiver that implicated him as being a part of the infamous Black Sox scandal. With time and retrospective interviews, it’s been found out that Jackson’s stats didn’t dip during the 1919 World Series and that he didn’t understand what he was signing. And there’s the fact that he died in 1951, which means his case has been long overdue. It takes a lot to be an athlete, especially if you come from nothing. For many fans — Jackson deserved better.
On X, the decision came a little too late. One user reminded people that Rose had already said he didn’t want to join the Hall of Fame anymore.
Pete rose said before he died he didn’t want to be in at this point, it’s disgusting that the @MLB waited till he died, why wait? another reason why the sport slips into irrelevance
— peanut butter skin (@mealteam69) May 14, 2025
Another user just noted “they robbed a man of a dream.”
Awesome, but Pete should’ve got to live it. They ROBBED the man of a dream
— The Sports Forum (@SportsForumCO) May 13, 2025
One user was more concerned with the 106 years Jackson had to wait.
Shoeless Joe waited 106 years. Pete Rose can cry me a river.
— Commander Kevin (@Kevin_7466) May 13, 2025
According to reports, this decision came after President Trump’s outreach to him. Trump has been reaching a lot of sports commissioners, and he had a particular soft spot for Pete Rose, so he was going to do all he can to get him in the Hall of Fame.
Now the decision will rest on baseball legends on whether Rose and Jackson deserve a place in the Hall of Fame when they vote later this year.
