The career hits leader agreed to the lifetime ban after an investigation commissioned by Major League Baseball concluded Rose bet on games involving the Reds while he managed and played for the team. He still bets on sports – and still bets on baseball.
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In ruling against inviting Rose back into baseball’s warm embrace, Manfred said he saw what most clear-thinking people see: that Rose, after lying about gambling on baseball games for years, still doesn’t grasp the impact of what he had done.
Refusal of treatment hurt: Manfred wrote that Rose has never “seriously” sought any help for gambling addiction, which also hurt his cause. Pete Rose the player should be the blueprint of what all players should be like.
Pete Rose thought a different commissioner might yield a different result, but he got the bad news it does not matter to Major League Baseball. And, said the commissioner, Rose acknowledges still betting on horseracing and professional sports, including baseball.
Manfred cited “new evidence” his staff turned up after Manfred decided in April to reexamine Rose’s case and ordered a “comprehensive review” of the case, and found further instances of Rose violating baseball’s Rule 21 on misconduct.
JOHN DOWD: I’m very, very happy and very proud of the commissioner of baseball for protecting the game. However, Manfred upheld Pete Rose’s lifetime ban, and that means Rose will never be in the Hall of Fame-unless he buys a ticket to Cooperstown.
“Rose has not presented credible evidence of a reconfigured life”, said Manfred in a statement.
It was the third time since his 1989 banishment that the 17-time All-Star and three-time World Series Champion has applied for reinstatement.
Despite the continued ban, Rose may take part in “ceremonial activities that present no threat to the integrity of the game”, Manfred said.
According to Manfred’s report of the meeting, Rose admitted that he extensively bet on Cincinnati Reds games in 1987, although his memory was a bit cloudy on his involvement in betting on baseball when he was still an active player in 1985 and 1986. He offered an unconclusive lie detector test and an unsubstantiated psychiatric test – which Manfred says he dismissed because it conflicted with the truth. Manfred said he gave the report little weight because it was inconsistent with what Manfred told him.
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Pete Rose broke one of MLB’s most widely known and cherished rules back when he was employed by the Cincinnati Reds. A three-time NL batting champion, he had 4,256 hits from 1963-86, topping the mark of 4,191 set by Ty Cobb from 1905-28.
