Rob Manfred plans to discuss Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame eligibility
New commish Rob Manfred says he plans to have the conversation about allowing Pete Rose back into the game
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When asked about Pete Rose on ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” radio show, new MLB commissioner Rob Manfred responded that “it’s a conversation I’m willing to have. ”
“I have heard from [Rose’s] lawyer, and I do anticipate having a coversation about that,” Manfred said. “I’ve been very careful not to say anything about the merits of it because ultimately I’m going to have to make a decision there. But it’s a conversation I’m willing to have.”
2015 is the first year as commissioner for Manfred, during which he has been very available publicly, and we’re beginning to get a handle on his views on many issues.
In 1989, then-commissioner Bart Giamatti banned Pete Rose from baseball for life after it was found out that Rose was betting on baseball games. Rose was the first player to be outright banned from baseball since 1943.
Rose, a Reds and Phillies legend, is MLB’s all-time hits leader with 4,256. He also holds the all-time marks for games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), and outs (10,328); as well as being the only player in major league history to play more than 500 games at five different positions.
Rose initially denied the charge of betting on baseball, but came clean in 2004. The Hall of Fame has a clause prohibiting anyone on the ineligible list from being considered. Rose has appealed the decision multiple times, but has always been denied. Officially, Rose is not allowed to have anything to do with MLB or any baseball functions or teams, though some exceptions have been made.
The entire conversation with Manfred, in which he touches on subjects such as his biggest challenge in his new role, developing baseball without alienating traditionalists, pace of play in the sport and star players’ visibility, can be found here.
The Hall of Fame has been a topic of much debate among baseball writers and fans recently, as the debate over whether to allow steroid users into the Hall rages on. Coupled with Rose’s ineligibility, as of now three of the greatest players to ever play the game (Rose, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens) are not in the Hall, and none seem to have much of a chance of getting there any time soon.
Part of the problem is the lack of guidelines from the Hall itself on the issue, while some of the blame resides with writers who have decided to dub themselves guardians of morality, which leads to players who were muscular but have no steroid proof or even suspicion, such as Jeff Bagwell, being arbitrarily kept out of the Hall of Fame.
Needless to say, the Hall of Fame should be high on the new commissioner’s list of priorities. It will be interesting to say where these “discussions” about Rose lead, if they lead anywhere.
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