Pete Rose Is Finally Eligible For the Hall of Fame — Postumously

May 13, 2025 ,

In one of the cruelest rulings, perhaps, in baseball history, commissioner Rob Manfred has determined that Pete Rose, and other deceased ballplayers who had been on baseball ineligible list and therefore banned from Hall of Fame entrance, are now reinstated, and eligible for the Hall.

Manfred ruled that the punishment of banned individuals ends upon their deaths. Guess that's why it's called a 'lifetime' ban. Too late to celebrate, unfortunately, for those involved.

Shoeless Joe Jackson is also among the list of 17 deceased individuals removed from MLB’s ineligible list. 

Since being banned from baseball for life back in 1989 for betting on the sport, Rose had battled continuously to get himself reinstated and into the Hall of Fame. He passed away at the age of 83 this past September.

In 24 seasons, baseball's all-time Hit King had a lifetime batting average of .303, is major league baseball's career leader in hits with 4,256, as well as games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), and singles (3,215). He's also a three-time World Series champion -- twice with the Cincinnati Reds and once with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1963, the NL MVP in 1973, and a 17-time All-Star. 

The next time the Classic Baseball Era committee meets to vote on inducting players who are not in the Hall is in December of 2027, to consider the ballot for the Class of 2028. This could be the ticket for Rose to finally be inducted — posthumously — to the Baseball Hall of Fame, something he wanted so badly during his lifetime. 

In fact, as Tyler Kepner of The Athletic recounts, Rose once said, just 10 days before his death, “I’ve come to the conclusion – I hope I’m wrong – that I’ll make the Hall of Fame after I die."

It looks like he'll actually be right. 

Reaction around the sport was swift. 

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