Hall of Fame Controversy Still Follows Pete Rose

Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame eligibility debate reignites after his passing and removal from MLB’s permanently ineligible list.

Bruce Penton

June 19, 2025

key points from this story:

  • Pete Rose passed away September 2024
  • Rose holds MLB’s all-time hit record
  • Betting scandal led to lifetime ban
  • Rose, Joe Jackson removed from ineligible list
  • Hall of Fame vote possible in 2027
  • 75% vote threshold unlikely for induction

Pete Rose, a Hall of Famer? Yes or no? The late Rose, who passed away in September of 2024, is at the heart of one of baseball’s greatest debates: Should he be admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y?

There’s no debate about his credentials, of course. All he did during a 20-year career with Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos was accumulate more base hits than anyone else in the history of the game. Is Wayne Gretzky Hockey Hall of Fame worthy? Is Michael Jordan a Hall of Famer at the basketball shrine in Springfield, Mass? Would Tom Brady deserve a bust at the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio? Of course, yes, yes, yes, yes to all of the above.

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