Major League Baseball has reinstated Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson from the permanently ineligible list, according to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr.
Commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision ends the ban that Rose accepted from Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti in August 1989, following an MLB investigation that determined the all-time hits leader bet on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds.
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Jackson and seven other Chicago White Sox were banned in 1921 by MLB’s first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, for fixing the 1919 World Series.
Both Rose and Jackson will now be eligible for election to the Hall of Fame. Here’s what to know about their reinstatement.
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Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson reinstatement
MLB announced on Tuesday that Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson are reinstated from the permanently ineligible list. Manfred ruled that MLB’s punishment of banned individuals ends at death.
“Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” Manfred wrote in a letter to attorney Jeffrey M. Lenkov, who petitioned for Rose’s removal from the list Jan. 8. “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.”
EXCLUSIVE: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred removes Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson from MLB’s permanent ineligible list.
Rose and Jackson– baseball’s two pariahs, stained by gambling– now have a clear pathway for consideration for Baseball’s Hall of Fame.
Story TK
— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) May 13, 2025
Manfred’s ruling removes a total of 16 deceased players and one deceased owner from MLB’s banned list, including Jackson’s teammates from the group involved in the “Black Sox” scandal.
Rose and Jackson will now be eligible for the Hall of Fame. Based on the current rules for players who retired more than 15 years ago, the earliest Rose and Jackson could be elected is December 2027, when the Classic Baseball Era Committee — which evaluates players who made their greatest impact on the sport prior to 1980 — meets next.
Why was Pete Rose banned from MLB?
Rose was technically banned from MLB because he agreed to it, not for betting on baseball. With evidence of gambling mounting against him, Rose signed an agreement with Giamatti declaring him permanently ineligible from the game.
Rose initially denied all allegations of gambling, but in his 2004 book “My Prison Without Bars,” he admitted he bet on baseball.
“I knew that I broke the letter of the law. But I didn’t think that I broke the ‘spirit’ of the law, which was designed to prevent corruption,” Rose wrote. “During the times I gambled as a manager, I never took an unfair advantage. I never bet more or less based on injuries or inside information. I never allowed my wagers to influence my baseball decisions. So, in my mind, I wasn’t corrupt. Granted, it was a thin distinction but it was one that I believed at the time.”
Pete Rose gambling scandal
In March 1989, allegations surfaced that Rose had placed bets on baseball. Several betting slips belonging to Rose were found in an Ohio restaurant, and a Sports Illustrated report connected the owner, Ron Peters, and one of Rose’s friends, Paul Janszen, as both having run bets for him.
In April 1989, Giamatti became MLB’s commissioner and hired special counsel John Dowd to investigate. His report ultimately found evidence to indicate Rose bet on baseball while he was managing the Reds, including while he was a player-manager.
On Aug. 24, 1989, Rose signed an agreement with Giamatti declaring him permanently ineligible from baseball. In exchange, there was no formal declaration of betting made.
Why was ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson banned from MLB?
Jackson was an outfielder who had a 13-year MLB career, most notably with the White Sox from 1915-20. Along with seven of his Chicago teammates, he was banned from MLB in 1921 by Landis for attempting to fix the 1919 World Series.
Jackson was considered one of the best hitters of his time and was on a Hall of Fame trajectory before his banishment. His career batting average is .356, which would rank fifth among the players enshrined in Cooperstown.
Black Sox scandal
In the “Black Sox” scandal, eight Chicago White Sox players were accused of accepting $5,000 each to purposefully lose the 1919 World Series. They included Jackson, pitcher Eddie Cicotte, center fielder Happy Felsch, first baseman Chick Gandil, utilityman Fred McMullin, shortstop Swede Risberg, third baseman Buck Weaver, and pitcher Lefty Williams.
The players were acquitted by a Chicago jury that heard the case, but they were banned anyway by Landis. The scandal has long been considered one of the darkest moments in baseball history.
