Pete Rose has petitioned new Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to lift his lifetime ban, according to ESPN.
Manfred said he will consider the request “on its merits.”
“I want to make sure I understand all of the details of the Dowd Report and Commissioner [Bart] Giamatti’s decision and the agreement that was ultimately reached,” Manfred said Monday. “I want to hear what Pete has to say, and I’ll make a decision once I’ve done that.”
Rose is MLB’s all-time hits leader with 4,256 base hits during his career that spanned from 1963-86.
Three years after he retired, Rose agreed to a permanent ban from baseball amid accusations he gambled on games while playing and managing for the Cincinnati Reds. Gaining reinstatement from the commissioner could be the first step to Rose reaching the Hall of Fame. In 1991, the Hall voted to ban players on the permanently ineligible list from induction. Manfred, who is a member of the Hall of Fame board, said he has had no discussions with the museum about its plans regarding Rose. Honestly, I don’t think people should read any disposition into what I’m saying about this. I see it as a really simple thing. He’s made a request, Manfred said. Part of my obligations under the major league constitution is to deal with those requests, and I’ll deal with it.
Manfred succeeded Bud Selig as MLB’s commissioner in January.
