Commissioner Rob Manfred has no plans to remove Pete Rose’s lifetime MLB betting ban, even as legalized sports wagering continues to grow.
Rose accepted a permanent ban in 1989 for MLB betting infractions. He sent a letter to Manfred in November 2022 asking for another chance.
However, it did not work.
“I don’t think that the fact that the law changed in the United States, and that fans are now allowed to engage in legalized sports betting, alters the rules, the values associated with whether players should be betting on the game,” Manfred told the New York Post this week.
“And I 100% believe if you bet on baseball, you should be banned from baseball for life. I mean, that’s what it says, and I take it quite literally.”
Rose’s complicated MLB betting past
Rose placed the first legal sports bet in Ohio on Jan. 1 at the Hard Rock Casino.
He has applied for reinstatement, unsuccessfully, on four separate occasions. Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader has also repeatedly asked for Hall of Fame consideration.
When it comes to statistics, Rose has a compelling case. Yet, even aside from his betting scandal, he has deflected questions on an allegation that he had sex with a woman when she was a minor.
“No, I’m not here to talk about that,” Rose told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Sorry about that. It was 55 years ago, babe.”
Manfred separates MLB, HOF bans
Manfred indicated that the MLB ban and Hall of Fame ban are separate issues, and should be treated as such.
“I have written and continue to believe that the fact that you should not be able to work or be involved in the game in a way that you could affect an outcome should not be the same test as to whether you should be in the Hall of Fame. It’s a museum after all. It is not a competitive undertaking,” Manfred said.
“And I think the real question is not whether I should take him off the permanently ineligible list, because I think that’s where he belongs. The real question is should the Hall of Fame eligibility rule be the same test as to whether you’re permanently ineligible from participating in the game as an on-field personnel.”
