Lifetime bans for Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson lifted

Manfred’s spine turns to jelly once again

The lifetime bans for Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson have been cast aside by commissioner Rob Manfred, much like a gambling ticket that lost and is no longer wanted by the person who placed the bet.

With this ban now lifted, both Rose and Jackson are eligible to be elected to the Hall of Fame, though both would have to be chosen by a veteran’s committee in order to gain enshrinement. I’ll bet that both will do well, though ultimately, the odds may not be in their favor.

Rose will be known in Philadelphia by many as the player that helped put the late 1970’s version of the Phillies over the top and allowed them to win the ever elusive World Series in 1980. It sure was a gamble to sign Rose at the time, but the team saw it as a worthwhile risk in order to have a parade down Broad Street. We all know the story of what came after – the gambling, the lifetime ban, the refusal to believe what he did was wrong until he finally got a book deal that would pay him money to finally confess. Many people still sided with Rose into his later years until he finally embarrassed himself during a ceremony in 2022 when he made crude remarks to a female reporter asking an honest question, then made a fool of himself on the broadcast of the game that day. A documentary was put out later in 2024 intended to bring sympathy to his plight, only to show how much of a clown Rose had devolved into.

Let’s hope the Hall of Fame at least as a bit more of a backbone than Rob Manfred apparently does.