For our website, this news is as big as it gets.
In a shocking announcement, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred removed Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and the rest of the banned 1919 Chicago White Sox players from the permanently ineligible list. This would presumably mean that Rose and Jackson could find their way into Cooperstown one day.
First, let’s recall how we arrived at this point.
In 1921, Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis banned Chick Gandil, Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsh, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, and Lefty Williams for their alleged participation in throwing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. Among the eight players, Jackson was considered the best and had already amassed a career that was Hall of Fame worthy. He professed his innocence until he died in 1951, and to support that, Jackson had a .956 OPS in the Series.
Rose was banned by Commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989 following the finding that he bet on MLB games, including those of the team he managed, the Cincinnati Reds. Rose pleaded his innocence for years, until he eventually came clean, though that coincided with the release of his autobiography. The Hall then proceeded to ban him, though he did receive write-in ballots for the first three years, which was also banned afterward.
The Baseball Hall of Fame operates separately from Major League Baseball. Jackson was on the inaugural 1936 ballot and again in 1946, but the Hall decided not to induct him after that. Jackson’s enemies are long dead, but the detractors of Rose could be part of a Veteran’s Ballot. Both could appear as early as 2027 as one or two names in the Classic Baseball Era Committee.
Joe Gedeon, Gene Paulette, Benny Kauff, Lee Magee, Phil Douglas, Cozy Dolan, Jimmy O’Connell, and William Cox were also reinstated. All those impacted are deceased.
Both Rose and Jackson are top ten candidates in our Notinhalloffame Baseball list, and with hell freezing over, Cooperstown might see some early climate change.
