Rob Manfred Says MLB's Pete Rose, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson Reinstatements Were 'Overdue'

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said during an interview on CBS Mornings that the reinstatements of Pete Rose and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson were "overdue."

"I would say three things," he said (h/t ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr.). "No. 1: Our permanently ineligible list is effectively a ban on working in the game. This is a matter of logic. There's no reason to have a person who has passed away still on that list. No. 2: Pete Rose is a part of the history of our game. Every other player, including 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson, has been considered by the Hall of Fame and they've made a decision. I saw no reason to leave Pete Rose out there as one of one, no consideration.

"And then, last, I think what people don't realize is Pete Rose wasn't disciplined by commissioner Giamatti. He entered a settlement agreement with the league. At the time they entered into that settlement, he went on the permanently ineligible list knowing that the rules allowed the Hall of Fame to consider him. Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti went out, had a press conference the day of the settlement and he was asked about the Hall of Fame and he said this settlement should have nothing to do with the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame should consider Pete Rose under its existing rules. So I see the decision as baseball living up to the deal that they originally made with Pete Rose."

Rose's settlement came in August 1989, when it was discovered by league investigators that he had been betting on games as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Major League Baseball later changed the eligibility rules for the Hall of Fame in 1991, deeming any player on a banned list ineligible for the Hall.

As for the timing of Manfred's decision to reinstate Rose, it was a bit dubious given that Donald Trump has publicly expressed a desire to see Rose in the Hall of Fame and met with Manfred in April to discuss Rose, among other topics.

Regardless, Rose and Jackson being reinstated does not guarantee either will be voted into the Hall of Fame. Voters could decide that the gambling scandals from both players rule them unfit for induction, much as they have done with a number of prominent Steroids Era players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

There's no doubt that the man nicknamed Charlie Hustle would have been in the Hall of Fame were it not for his gambling scandal. His 4,256 career hits are the most in MLB history, and he was a 17-time All-Star, one-time MVP, three-time World Series champion, three-time batting champion and two-time Gold Glover who hit .303 for his career.

Ditto for Jackson, who hit .356 for his career and had a career OPS of .940 while posting three seasons of 20 or more triples. But Jackson was a part of the 1919 Chicago White Sox team that worked with gamblers to fix that season's World Series.