Baseball legend Pete Rose had high hopes for HOF recognition over 2 decades after his lifetime ban

Time heals all wounds but it hasn’t been the case for Pete Rose and his unceremonious ban from baseball, which he received over 33 years ago.

The Cincinnati Reds legend accepted a permanent ban for betting on baseball in 1989, which has since prevented him from being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Rose developed a notorious reputation for being a gambler. Athletes and coaches are strictly prohibited from gambling on the sport they are involved in.

The IRS seized betting slips with Rose’s name which revealed that he was betting upwards of $8,000 per day on baseball.

Major League Baseball launched a thorough investigation later that year, which further revealed that Rose had bet on 52 Reds games in 1987, while he was the Reds manager. Rose was handed a lifetime ban by the league on Aug. 24, 1989.

Rose was dealt another blow in 1991 when the Baseball Hall of Fame’s board of directors voted unanimously to ban him from the ballot. His Hall of Fame candidacy remains a hot topic of debate even to this day.

Former league commissioner Bud Selig reportedly considered lifting the ban in 2009, but that never came to fruition. Addressing those rumors in a chat with the Indy Star in 2014, Pete Rose said:

"Really, where I belong is back in baseball. I still believe it can happen. To be honest with you, I really haven't given up on Bud giving me a second chance."

"The greatest hypocrisy to exist in sports. Today the @Reds announce a year-round @BetMGM stadium sportsbook accepting wagers on all @MLB action + every other major sports league. @PeteRose_14 is still not in Cooperstown & is banned from baseball." - Jordan McCreery

No change in Pete Rose's situation since arrival of Rob Manfred

Selig was succeeded by Rob Manfred as league commissioner in 2015. Seven years on, there still hasn’t been signs to indicate that Rose will be granted his long overdue recognition, at least not anytime soon.

"He's 81 years old now, enough already, put this man in Cooperstown while he's still with us. It's time!" - Miles Commodore

Pete Rose retired in 1986 as the sport's all-time leader with 4,256 hits and 3,562 games played. He took over as player/manager for the Reds in 1984.

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