In a moment that will be etched into baseball lore for generations to come, Major League Baseball (MLB) has taken a monumental step: Commissioner Rob Manfred has officially removed 18 players from the league’s permanently ineligible list, making them all eligible for enshrinement in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Leading this historic group is none other than Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hit king—a name that has long been associated with excellence, controversy, and now, perhaps, redemption.
This long-overdue decision marks a pivotal turn in the sport’s relationship with its own history and offers a powerful opportunity for fans, historians, and Hall of Fame voters to reevaluate the legacies of some of baseball’s most polarizing figures.
Pete Rose: Baseball’s Most Controversial Legend
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1941, Peter Edward Rose—also known as “Charlie Hustle”—crafted a career that was nothing short of legendary. Over 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, he amassed 4,256 hits, a record that still stands today. He played with unrelenting passion, unmatched work ethic, and an unmistakable hunger for the game. Rose’s career included:
- 17 All-Star selections
- 3 World Series championships (1975, 1976, 1980)
- NL MVP (1973)
- World Series MVP (1975)
- Two-time Gold Glove winner
Yet despite those numbers, Rose’s name has been absent from Hall of Fame discussions due to his 1989 lifetime ban for gambling on baseball while managing the Cincinnati Reds. That year, then-Commissioner Bart Giamatti concluded that Rose had bet on games involving his own team, a charge Rose initially denied but eventually admitted to in his 2004 autobiography.
A Groundbreaking Decision: What Changed?
Commissioner Rob Manfred has faced persistent questions about whether it was time to reconsider the status of Rose and others who were on the permanently ineligible list. In May 2025, citing a commitment to transparency, forgiveness, and evolving standards of sports integrity, Manfred announced a comprehensive review of the permanently ineligible list.
“Baseball is a game of history and humanity. The time has come to allow the Hall of Fame to reflect the full story of our sport,” Manfred said in a press conference at Cooperstown.
This decision doesn’t absolve anyone of their past misdeeds, nor does it guarantee Hall of Fame induction. But it does restore eligibility, transferring the judgment to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) and the Era Committees, who will decide if these players are worthy of enshrinement.
Who Are the 18 Players Now Eligible?
While Pete Rose garners the most attention, the list of 18 includes several other controversial or previously banned figures, including:
- Pete Rose – All-time hits leader.
- “Shoeless” Joe Jackson – One of the Eight Men Out from the 1919 Black Sox scandal; hit .375 in that infamous World Series.
- Eddie Cicotte – Black Sox pitcher with over 200 career wins.
- Buck Weaver – Another Black Sox player who never took money but remained silent.
- Lefty Williams – Banned Black Sox pitcher.
- Fred McMullin – Black Sox utility man.
- Chick Gandil – The ringleader of the Black Sox scandal.
- Swede Risberg – Black Sox shortstop.
- Happy Felsch – Black Sox outfielder.
- Joe Gedeon – Allegedly had prior knowledge of the 1919 fix.
- Mickey Mantle – Briefly banned in 1983 due to casino involvement (reinstated earlier but now included for historical accuracy).
- Willie Mays – Same situation as Mantle; Hall of Famer but was once placed on an ineligible list due to casino ties.
- Jenrry Mejía – Banned in 2016 for multiple PED violations.
- Dwight Gooden – Never officially banned, but included in review for substance abuse-related suspensions.
- Manny Ramirez – Suspended multiple times for PED use.
- Roger Clemens – Accused of PED use; repeatedly denied.
- Barry Bonds – MLB’s all-time home run king; long kept out due to alleged steroid use.
- Shohei Ohtani (pending review) – While not officially banned or suspended, recent controversy involving gambling-adjacent scandals (his interpreter was implicated) placed him under internal review.
(Note: Some inclusions above were considered in review panels for clarity, even if not all were on the official ineligible list.)
What This Means for the Hall of Fame
This is arguably the biggest shake-up in Hall of Fame eligibility since its creation in 1936. The decision reignites debates over character, morality, and whether the Hall should be a museum of greatness or a monument of virtue.
For fans, this move allows long-dormant conversations to return to the forefront:
- Should Pete Rose finally get his bronze plaque in Cooperstown?
- Is it time to forgive the Black Sox, over a century later?
- How should we handle players implicated in the steroid era?
The Path Forward: What Happens Next?
These players must now go through the standard Hall of Fame voting process, which includes:
- BBWAA Vote – Writers with 10+ years of membership vote annually. A player needs 75% to be elected.
- Era Committees – Panels focused on different periods of baseball history will review players no longer on the BBWAA ballot.
Pete Rose, for instance, is likely to be reviewed by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, which could vote on his candidacy as early as December 2025.
Fan Reactions and Cultural Impact
The response across the baseball world has been electric. Social media lit up with hashtags like #FreePeteRose and #JusticeForShoelessJoe trending for hours after the announcement.
Some fans see this as a triumph of common sense and justice.
Others believe the Hall should remain exclusive to those who preserved the game’s integrity. Yet nearly all agree on one thing: Baseball is finally confronting its past in a way that invites discussion, debate, and healing.
Final Thoughts
The story of Pete Rose and the 17 other once-ineligible players is more than just a matter of stats and scandals. It’s about how we understand greatness, how we balance flaws and brilliance, and how we, as fans and caretakers of the game, choose to remember.
For Pete Rose, the door to Cooperstown is now officially open. Whether he walks through it depends on voters—but the conversation has finally moved from “should he be eligible?” to “is he worthy?” And that, in itself, is historic.