The Philadelphia Phillies supported baseball’s decision to reinstate Pete Rose and make him eligible for the Hall of Fame.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that he was changing the league's policy on permanent ineligibility, saying bans would expire at death. MLB said 17 individuals had their status changed by the decision, including Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson and the rest of the banned members of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox, former Philadelphia Phillies president Williams D. Cox and former New York Giants outfielder Benny Kauff.
Rose, who is baseball’s career leader with 4,256 hits, died Sept. 30 of last year. He was 83.
The Phillies issued the following statement:
“The Phillies support today’s decision by Commissioner Manfred and Major League Baseball to remove Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list.
People are also reading…
“As one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Pete made significant on-field contributions to the Phillies over his five seasons (1979-83) with the club, highlighted by our first World Series title in 1980.”
The Phillies also released the following statement from Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt, who was Rose’s teammate in Philadelphia:
“It’s a great day for baseball as Commissioner Manfred has reinstated Pete Rose, making him eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The ongoing question of whether Pete Rose should or shouldn’t be in the Hall will be answered by a select panel in the next Classic Baseball Era Committee.
“Congratulations to Pete’s family, his teammates, as well as his supporters who have waited many years for this opportunity for consideration.”
Under the Hall of Fame’s current rules, the earliest Rose or Jackson could be inducted would be in 2028.
Rose agreed to a permanent ban on Aug. 23, 1989, following an investigation commissioned by Major League Baseball concluded Rose repeatedly bet on the Reds as a player and manager of the team from 1985-87, a violation of a long-standing MLB rule.
Twitter @ACPressMcGarry
0 Comments
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!