Although Rose was banned from baseball in 1989 following an investigation into his gambling activities, he was never officially put on the ballot for members of the Baseball Writers Association of America to consider his hall candidacy.
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The hall and MLB are separate entities, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred noted when he denied Rose’s reinstatement, “It is not part of his authority of responsiblity to make any determination concerning Mr. Rose’s eligibility as a candidate for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.”
This option theoretically always existed for Rose, but he seemed more intent on gaining reinstatement – at least until his last appeal was denied by a new commissioner.
Being allowed fully back into Major League Baseball would allow him to work for a team, something he has frequently said he would like to do.
Admission into the Hall of Fame, which presumably would still require approval either by vote of the BBWA or some sort of committee, would be much more than a consolation prize for the 75-year-old Hit King, of course.
As it stands, some of the provisions of his ban have already been softened as Rose has been allowed to be part of multiple on-field celebrations, including presentation of the MLB All-Century Team in 1999 and several Reds functions, including his induction into the team’s hall of fame in June.
Per Yahoo!, hall president Jeff Idelson, “Pete Rose remains ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, based on the Hall of Fame’s bylaws, which preclude any individual on baseball’s ineligible list from being considered for election.”
The letter from Rose’s attorneys first seeks to establish banishment from the hall of fame was never part of the agreement Rose signed in 1989, something they argue was affirmed by Manfred’s latest decision.
They go on to note “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and the rest of the Chicago White Sox players who were banned from baseball for their involvement in a plot to throw the 1919 World Series (against the Reds, ironically) were all considered eligible for hall of fame induction later in life.
Jackson, a lifetime .356 hitter who was 32 at the time of his ban, received votes from the BBWA but never enough to be inducted before his eligibility expired as any other player’s would. The letter also notes Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle spent time on the Ineligible List after being inducted into the hall of fame, but their status as hall of famers was never in question.
They go on to write, “Indeed, no one associated with the game other than Pete has ever been categorically denied eligibility from day one after the conclusion of his career for actions having nothing to do with the way they played baseball.”
They also claim, “Pete would do anything in his power to be considered even if writers individually do not believe that he is worthy of admission. He will subject himself to any and all measures of accountability the board deems appropriate.”
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