The son of former MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti ripped current commissioner Rob Manfred for removing Pete Rose from MLB's permanently ineligible list. Rose gambled on baseball as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, something he admitted to in his memoir after years of public denial. Manfred's decision means Rose will be eligible for the Hall of Fame.
Marcus Giamatti is the 63-year-old son of the late Bart Giamatti. He spoke with Bob Nightengale of USA Today about Manfred's decision. Giamatti said this decision could tarnish the integrity of the game.
"Now, without integrity, I believe the game of baseball, as we know it, will cease to exist. How, without integrity, will the fans ever entrust the purity of the game? …The basic principle that the game is built on is fair play, and integrity will be compromised," said Giamatti.
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Bart Giamatti's son rips Rob Manfred for making Pete Rose eligible for Hall of Fame
Giamatti believes the decision could open the door for not only 'Shoeless Joe' Jackson and the 1919 Black Sox team, who were accused of fixing World Series games. He mentioned the inclusion of players such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez, who were accused of using performance-enhancing drugs. Giamatti mentioned the 2017 Houston Astros team, accused in a postseason sign-stealing scandal.
Manfred on Tuesday ruled that players' permanent ineligibility ends upon their death. This means that players from the 1919 Black Sox scandal, including 'Shoeless Joe' Jackson, will be eligible.
Rose and others mentioned above must be nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame. He can now be nominated by the Hall of Fame’s Historical Overview Committee and placed on the 2027 Classic Baseball Era committee ballot. Rose would need 12 votes by the 16-member committee – which includes four former players, four executives, four writers, and four historians – to be elected and inducted in the summer of 2028.
Giamatti said Manfred never consulted him or his brother, actor Paul Giamatti, about their thoughts on lifting the ban.
Giamatti remains traumatized by the reaction his family received, including death threats, following the commissioner's decision to ban Rose. The elder Giamatti passed away from a heart attack in the days following the decision.
It's easy to see why the Giamatti's are against Rose's reinstatement. A lot would have to fall into place for Rose to be elected to the Hall of Fame. It is not a certainty.