Unquestionably one of the game’s greatest players ever, Rose was placed on baseball’s ineligibility list in 1989 when it was discovered he had gambled on 52 Cincinnati Reds games, the team he was managing at the time.
While all evidence points to him betting on his team to win and not influencing the outcome of games by actively sabotaging the Reds in any way, it was still enough to get a lifetime ban.
But now, according to Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is considering the petition filed by Rose’s family on Jan. 8 of this year that would posthumously remove him from baseball’s ineligible list.
Rose passed away on Sept. 30, 2024.
His attorney, Jeffrey Lenkov, said the family is seeking the removal so Rose can be inducted into the Hall of Fame, something that wasn’t possible after 1991 when they voted to exclude individuals on the permanently ineligible list from being inducted by way of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote.
While Rose is most often associated with Cincinnati, he also has a special place in the hearts of Phillies fans after he was an instrumental part in helping the franchise win their first-ever World Series title in 1980.
At 38 years old, Philadelphia made him the highest-paid player in team sports by signing him to a four-year, $3.2 million contract, something they believed would get them over the hump in the playoffs.
That turned out to be the case.
Rose was great for the Phillies. He earned All-Star Game selections in four out of his five seasons with the team, finished 10th and 15th in MVP voting, took home a Silver Slugger Award, won three divisions titles, made two World Series appearances and, most importantly, finally won the championship.
His last moment with the team was losing to the Baltimore Orioles in the 1983 Fall Classic, and even though Philadelphia wanted to keep him for another season, he didn’t want to accept a limited role and signed with the Montreal Expos for the 1984 campaign.
That’s where things went off the rails for Rose.
He was traded back to the Reds in August of that season, and he became a player-manager for the team when Vern Rapp was fired.
Rose actually broke the all-time hits record while he was also managing the team, and it wasn’t until he unofficially retired in 1986 when he removed himself from the 40-man roster did he become the full-time skipper for Cincinnati.
Then, in 1989, it was revealed he had bet on baseball games while he was the manager in 1987.
And the rest is history.
But, it seems like there is a chance Rose could take his rightful place in the Hall of Fame one day as baseball’s all-time hit leader.
“The commissioner was respectful, gracious, and actively participated in productive discussions regarding removing Rose from the ineligible list,” said Lenkov per Van Natta.
It will be interesting to see what comes out of this, but there is some newfound momentum for the Phillies legend to be enshrined in Cooperstown one day.