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Why Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson were banned and when can they be inducted into MLB HOF
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday lifted bans on Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, paving the way for them to be inducted into the Hall of Fame
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday lifted bans on Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, paving the way for them to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Rose’s permanent ban was lifted eight months after his death and came a day before the Cincinnati Reds will honor baseball’s career hits leader with Pete Rose Night.
Manfred announced that he was changing the league's policy on permanent ineligibility, saying bans would expire at death. Under the Hall of Fame’s current rules, the earliest Rose or Jackson could be inducted would be in 2028.
Why Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson were banned
Pete Rose, MLB’s hit king with 4,256 hits, received a lifetime ban in August 1989 from Commissioner A Bartlett Giamatti. As a player and manager for the Cincinnati Reds, Rose was found to have bet on baseball games, including at least 52 Reds games in 1987, per the 1989 Dowd Report. This violated MLB’s Rule 21, which forbids gambling on games involving one’s team. Rose denied the allegations for years but admitted in 2004 to betting on baseball, insisting he never bet against his team. The ban made him ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF), as the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) and Veterans Committee exclude those on MLB’s permanently ineligible list.
Shoeless Joe Jackson, a Chicago White Sox outfielder, was banned for life in 1921 by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis for his alleged involvement in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, where eight players were accused of fixing the World Series for gamblers. Despite a .375 batting average and no errors in the series, Jackson admitted to accepting $5,000 from gamblers but claimed he played to win. Though acquitted in a 1920 trial, Landis banned him under Rule 21 for associating with gamblers, tarnishing the game’s integrity. This ban bars him from HOF eligibility.
Rose, who died in September 2024 at 83, sought reinstatement multiple times, last in 2022, but Manfred denied it, citing Rose’s continued gambling ties (e.g., betting promotions).
