On Tuesday, Major League Baseball dropped a bombshell that caught everyone off guard. Pete Rose, the all-time hits leader, once exiled from the game, was officially removed from its ineligible list.
The decision comes nearly 35 years after Rose was placed under a lifetime ban in 1989. Why? For betting on the games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. And it arrived just months after Rose’s death in September 2024. Rob Manfred announced that he was changing the policy on permanent ineligibility. He said that the bans would not apply after a person’s death. But this has raised eyebrows and reignited debates.
Fans and even the insiders are split. Some see this as a welcome decision—a long-denied honor for a man whose passion and sheer numbers shaped the game. Others view it as a betrayal of baseball’s core principle. They take it as a quiet reversal that defines the integrity of the sport. But Rose’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lenkov, came out to clap back at this criticism.
“If you’re going to tell the story of the game, you’ve got to include him.”
Pete Rose’s lawyer Jeffrey Lenkov sends a message to those who think Rose shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/jUZc6IdiC2
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 15, 2025
Talking at Foul Territory, Lenkov said, “I think the Hall is about what you did on the field — it’s not ultimately a hall of moral turpitude or ethics. People can argue otherwise, sure. But if you start evaluating every player based on their personal flaws, then you’ve got a real problem. You’d be left with maybe five or six guys in there, because everyone makes mistakes…. If you’re going to tell the story of baseball, you’ve got to include him.” And you can’t argue he has a point. Rose, with 4,256 hits, 3,215 singles, and his unmatched hustle, is one of baseball’s greats.
Even President Donald Trump was all for Rose getting into the Hall of Fame. This may have been a major reason why Manfred went ahead with this reversal. However, not everyone is on board. Marcus Giamatti, son of the late commissioner Bart Giamatti, the man who signed Rose’s ban, condemned the move. “My father believed no one was above the game. This undermines everything he stood for. It’s a dark day for baseball,” said Giamatti. In the end, Rose may be eligible, but the path to Cooperstown is not simple. This just removes the ban; he still needs to go through the veteran’s committee, which is complicated and fiery as ever.
For now, though, Pete Rose fans are happier than ever.
Cincinnati honors Pete Rose after his MLB reinstatement
The night at Great American Ball Park was electric. A city was coming together to honor one of their own. Just a day after Major League Baseball officially removed Pete Rose from its permanent ineligibility list. Fans filled the stands chanting, “Pete…Pete.” It seemed as if they were calling upon Rose’s spirit back to Cincinnati. A choir from Rose’s old high school also sang the anthem. And the No. 14 was everywhere, from the jerseys to the video boards and more. It was an entire celebration vibe in Cincinnati.
Rose’s daughter, who really worked hard and long to get her dad this honor, couldn’t have been happier. “This city was my dad,” Fawn simply said. Just capturing the deep connection that her father and the place he called home had. But really, thousands of fans were lined up by Pete’s statue to snap pictures. It is simply a reminder of a man who gave everything to the sport.
Even before the game, a special panel with Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, Eric Davis, and former teammate George Foster shared stories and talked about the man Pete Rose is. Even beyond the controversy and beyond the errors he made. The Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona, who knew Rose both as a teammate and as a manager, said, “He played baseball with as much passion and competitive enjoyment as you ever could. You wanted to be on his team.” Rose did spend 19 of his 24 seasons with Cincinnati. He won two World Series championships with the team. Hence, it’s not surprising that such a celebration was due for him. Some may say awful, but for Pete Rose’s fans and his family, this was a long time coming. And that Rose deserves a place in Cooperstown.
What do you think? Does he deserve a place with the baseball-greats? Let us know in the comments.
The post Pete Rose’s Lawyer Fires Back at Critics as MLB’s Latest Move Reignites Fiery Debate appeared first on EssentiallySports.
