The Hall of Fame Remains out of Reach for Pete Rose — Even After His Passing

On Sept. 30, 2024, the baseball world mourned the passing of former professional player and manager Pete Rose. While the cause of death has not been publicly revealed, it is reported that Rose attended an event in Franklin, Tenn., just a day earlier.

He was 83 years old.

As tributes from fans and fellow players begin to flow in, many are reflecting on Rose's storied career and asking a question that has lingered for decades: Why is Pete Rose not in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Here's everything we know.

Despite an illustrious career, Pete Rose's chances of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame were effectively shattered due to his involvement in gambling.

In August 1989, during his final year as a manager and three years after retiring as a player, Rose was handed a lifetime ban from baseball following accusations that he had gambled on games, including claims that he bet on his own team, the Cincinnati Reds.

In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame officially voted to prevent anyone on the "permanently ineligible" list from being inducted, codifying a practice that had previously been upheld through informal consensus among voters.

After years of vehement denial, Rose publicly admitted in 2004 in his autobiography, My Prison Without Bars, that he had indeed bet on baseball games, including those involving the Reds.

''My actions, which I thought were benign, call the integrity of the game into question," he wrote. "And there's no excuse for that, but there's also no reason to punish me forever.'"

For years — and especially following Rose's death — his admission has reignited debates about his candidacy for the Hall of Fame. This still remains a highly contentious issue that continues to elicit passionate opinions within the baseball community.