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It doesn’t seem like Pete Rose is going to be in the Hall of Fame just because Major League Baseball has partnered with some sports gambling companies since his retirement.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was asked about reevaluating Rose’s lifetime ban in light of increased legalized sports gambling and commercial partnerships in place and said there will be no changes, per Bob Nightegale of USA Today:
“I think people believe we make more money off gambling than we actually do. But I think for us, we’ve always approached the issue of gambling from the proposition that players and other people who are in position to influence the outcome of the game are going to be subject to a different set of rules than everyone else. Pete Rose violated what is rule 1 of baseball and the consequences of that are clear in the rules.”
There is no doubt Rose has a Hall of Fame resume when it comes to his playing accolades.
He is the sport’s all-time hit leader with 4,256, which stands out among a list of accomplishments that includes three World Series titles, a National League MVP, a NL Rookie of the Year, 17 All-Star selections, three batting titles, two Gold Gloves, one Silver Slugger and a World Series MVP.
Rose played from 1963 through 1986 for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos.
He also managed from 1984 to 1989 but exited the game amid gambling allegations. He was placed on MLB’s permanently ineligible list for gambling on the game in 1989 and remains there despite multiple bids for reinstatement.
The Hall of Fame will not induct any players on that list.
Yet Rose is in one Hall of Fame. He remains a Reds legend, and Cincinnati inducted him into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2016. There is also a statue of him outside of Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.