Former Cincinnati Reds star Pete Rose met with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday to discuss possible reinstatement to baseball. Manfred told him to expect a ruling by the end of the year.
T.J. Quinn of ESPN’s Outside the Lines confirmed the meeting took place at league headquarters. He noted Rose, who admitted to betting on baseball, made his case to get removed from the ineligible list, but a source told OTL it’s “unlikely” the commissioner will rule in his favor.
MLB Communications provided a statement on the meeting:
Manfred discussed the Rose situation during an appearance on Thursday’s episode of The Dan Patrick Show, apparently before the meeting took place. He explained what his expectations would be when he spoke with the league’s all-time hits leader, as noted by Bob Hille of Sporting News.
“I think truthfulness is sort of the bedrock of every relationship,” Manfred said. “I think it would be a mistake for Pete to come in and do anything other than tell me everything and the complete truth with respect to everything.”
The commissioner also stated that part of the difficulty is understanding reinstatement goes beyond making Rose eligible for the Hall of Fame.
“My issue is, if I take him off the permanently ineligible list next week, someone could hire him next week for a job in baseball. That’s the issue I have in front of me,” he said. “I see that question very different from the question, ‘Should he be in the Hall of Fame based on what he did as a player and a manager?'”
He also explained his decision wouldn’t obligate the Baseball Hall of Fame to place Rose on future ballots, should he be granted reinstatement.
Manfred previously looked into the reinstatement case for “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, who was banned as a result of the Black Sox Scandal. Though Jackson’s role in the situation has been debated over the years, the commissioner denied the request, standing by the decisions made by his predecessors.
While there’s no doubt Rose has a Hall of Fame resume based on his on-field production, the question is whether Manfred can look past the betting admission. His comments make it clear he was hesitant to make such a leap, at least before speaking with Rose.
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