Manfred Explores Petition to Posthumously Exclude Rose from Ineligible List, Sources Reveal

Rob Manfred, the Commissioner of Baseball, is thinking about a request to lift Pete Rose’s lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. This information comes from a source who wished to remain anonymous due to the private nature of the discussions.

The news was first shared by ESPN, revealing that a lawyer named Jeffrey Lenkov filed the petition. Lenkov had previously represented Rose before his passing at the age of 83 in September. He met with Rose’s daughter, Fawn, Manfred, and MLB executive Pat Courtney in December to discuss the matter, and the petition was officially filed on January 8.

The Associated Press reached out to Lenkov for comments but hasn’t received a response yet.

Pete Rose, famously known as “Charlie Hustle,” is a legend in baseball. He’s the all-time leader in hits with 4,256 and has remarkable records for games played (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890). Rose was named the 1973 National League MVP and contributed to three World Series championship teams.

However, in the late ’80s, an investigation led by lawyer John M. Dowd found that Rose had been betting on the Cincinnati Reds, the team he played for and managed, during the years 1985 to 1987. In 1989, Rose accepted a permanent ban from MLB as a consequence of these findings.

Lenkov expressed hopes that removing Rose from the banned list would allow his family to pursue his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which Rose had always desired. He described Manfred as respectful and involved during their discussions in December.

According to a rule set by the Hall of Fame’s board in 1991, anyone on the permanently ineligible list cannot be considered for election. Rose has previously sought reinstatement, applying in 1997 and meeting with then-Commissioner Bud Selig in 2002, but no decision was made. Manfred denied another application for reinstatement in 2015.

Recently, former President Donald Trump took to social media, announcing plans to pardon Pete Rose. Trump commented that while Rose shouldn’t have bet on baseball, it was acceptable for him to bet on his own team’s success. He did not bring up Rose’s past legal issues concerning tax evasion. Trump aims to finalize the pardon in the coming weeks.

You can follow more MLB news on the Associated Press’s website: AP MLB.

Source link

Pete Rose, Jeffrey Lenkov, Baseball, Pat Courtney, Rob Manfred, General news, OH State Wire, DC Wire, MLB, Cincinnati Reds, U.S. news, John M. Dowd, Sports, Donald Trump, MLB baseball, Bud Selig, U.S. News