Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred made a declaration yesterday that would make Pete Rose eligible for the Hall of Fame. New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone reacted to the news.
Rose found himself on the permanently ineligible list in 1989, following allegations that he was betting on games while he was manager of the Reds. In 1991, he was deemed ineligible for the Hall of Fame. However, Manfred declared that all deceased players would be taken off the permanently ineligible list. Aaron Boone, whose father played with Rose, spoke on the matter.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Boone said per the New York Post “Obviously I have a long history with Pete and the family. I even talked to Junior today. Hopefully this is a good thing for baseball and [his] family. At the end of the day, I always feel like the Hall of Fame’s a museum. I’ve always felt like he should be in there — while understanding the ban from baseball. It’s my era, my love of the game and because I’ve had a close relationship with that family, I’m happy about it.”
Many baseball fans will not share the same sentiment as Boone, however. Manfred noted that Rose’s lifetime ban is a just punishment, and he cannot be a threat to the integrity of the game after passing away.
“Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” Manfred wrote in a letter to Lenkov, per ESPN’s Don van Natta Jr. “Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.
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“Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual, and Mr. Rose will be removed from the permanently ineligible list.”
Rose’s Hall of Fame enshrinement is now in the hands of voters. However, after 30-plus years of not even having the opportunity, he will at least be given a chance. Rose is the all-time hit leader. He collected 4,265 career hits in his 24-year career. He was a 17-time All-Star, MVP Award winner, Silver Slugger, three-time batting champion, three-time World Series champion and one-time World Series MVP.Â
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