Pete Rose’s Posthumous Reinstatement Under Consideration by MLB Commissioner

The office of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is currently reviewing a petition from Pete Rose’s family to remove the late baseball legend from the league’s ineligible list, as reported by ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. Rose, who died in September at 83, has been the subject of renewed attention following his passing. According to Van Natta, the petition was formally submitted on January 8, stemming from a December 17 discussion between Rose’s daughter, Fawn, the family’s attorney, and the commissioner’s office. This development marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate surrounding Rose’s legacy and his ban from baseball due to gambling violations.
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Adding to the complexity of the situation, President Donald Trump weighed in on Rose’s case late last night, hinting at a potential posthumous pardon in the coming weeks, according to Qasim Nauman and Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times. While such a pardon would address Rose’s 1990 federal prison sentence for filing false tax returns—a five-month term—it would not directly impact his standing with Major League Baseball. The timing of Trump’s comments, reported this morning, underscores the intersection of sports, law, and politics in Rose’s story, though the final decision on his baseball eligibility remains in the hands of Commissioner Manfred and MLB.