MLB Reinstates 17 Players From Permanently Ineligible List, Is Hall of Fame Next?

In a decision that reshapes the historical record of baseball, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred will remove Pete Rose, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, and other deceased players from the league's permanently ineligible list.

ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. broke the news about the commissioner's decision Tuesday.

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The move, while largely symbolic, carries significant implications. Rose, MLB's all-time hits leader, and Jackson, whose role in the 1919 Black Sox scandal cast a century-long shadow, had both been excluded from Hall of Fame consideration due to gambling-related bans.

The decision comes after Manfred met with President Donald Trump in April to discuss the case of Rose.

"President Trump is a longtime fan of baseball," MLB said in a statement at the time. "As he has done in the past, Commissioner Manfred was pleased to visit the White House again to discuss issues pertaining to baseball with the president."

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In a statement explaining the decision to Jeffrey M. Lenkov, an attorney for Rose, Manfred concluded, "permanent ineligibility ends upon passing of the individual."

"Obviously a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game," the letter read. "Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve."

The league said in a statement that 17 deceased individuals disciplined since the founding of the Commissioner's Office are impacted by the announcement: Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver and Lefty Williams; Joe Gedeon; Gene Paulette; Benny Kauff; Lee Magee; Phil Douglas; Cozy Dolan; Jimmy O'Connell; William Cox; and Pete Rose.

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The decision to reinstate Rose, who agreed to his ban in 1989 after it emerged he had wagered on games as the Cincinnati Reds' manager, is sure to be met with the most consternation. Rose, who passed away in 2024, had met individually with Manfred and his predecessor, Bud Selig, and denied reinstatement after each meeting.

Tuesday, Manfred clarified his thought process on upholding the 1989 ruling.

"Rose was not placed on the permanently ineligible list by Commissioner action," Manfred said in a statement, "but rather as the result of a 1989 settlement of potential litigation with the Commissioner's Office. My decision today is consistent with Commissioner (Bart) Giamatti's expectations of that agreement."

Rose, Jackson and the other candidates would not be eligible for Hall of Fame consideration until 2027, Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark confirmed Tuesday.

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Correction 5/13/25, 4:20 p.m. ET: The headline of this article was corrected to reflect the reinstatement of 17 previously ineligible players.