The career hits leader agreed to a lifetime ban in August 1989 following an investigation by Major League Baseball that concluded he bet on the Cincinnati Reds to win while managing the team.
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Manfred allowed Rose participation in certain events tied to the all-star game, and he received a standing ovation before the game as he was honoured by the Reds as part of MLB’s “franchise four” promotion.
To be sure, boorishness isn’t a disqualifier for the Baseball Hall of Fame, which is the primary reason Rose wants back into the game.
After failing in a reinstatement bid with former commissioner Fay Vincent (right) in 1992, another application by Rose again falls on deaf ears as his ban is upheld by commissioner Bud Selig. And it wasn’t about Rose getting into the Hall of Fame, which is another matter outside the commissioner’s jurisdiction.
This time, however, it was both gambling evidence and Rose’s failure to “present credible evidence of a reconfigured life” that Manfred cited in keeping Rose out of the game and, by extension, the Hall of Fame.
That being said, I don’t care how many games Rose has bet on throughout his life, it didn’t change his performance on the field.
Pete Rose, 74, will nearly assuredly go to his grave without being reinstated into the game he played so hard and discarded with such casual arrogance. “You put the man it, show me a little history, tell me the story behind Pete Rose next to his plaque”.
“You don’t know which way to read anything”, Rose said in an interview with WCPO in Cincinnati. “He also recognizes it was also of his own making”, Genco said in a statement.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Monday he would not lift the ban on Pete Rose, meaning the legendary hitter also will not be eligible for the Hall of Fame, according to current rules.
“As such, Pete seeks to be judged not simply by the mistakes of his past but also by the work he has done over the last three decades in taking responsibility for his actions, constantly working to remain disciplined, compassionate and grateful”. But even if that happened, it’s hard to believe – considering what we’ve learned from Manfred’s report – that Rose would stop gambling.
Manfred said the polygraph results did not enter into his ruling.
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A 17-time All-Star, Rose was the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, 1973 MVP and 1975 World Series MVP.
