Rose and Jackson get posthumous reprieve, but gambling on baseball is still MLB’s biggest sin

By DAVID BRANDT AP Baseball Writer It was more than years ago that Shoeless Joe Jackson was among eight Black Sox banned from baseball for throwing the World Series It s been more than years since Pete Rose suffered the same fate after betting on the sport as a player and manager of the Cincinnati Reds in the mid- s So when baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred reinstated both players on Tuesday making them eligible for the sport s Hall of Fame it might feel like a sport that s softening its stance in the modern era of ubiquitous sports gambling After all a huge chunk of Americans can make legal wagers at gleaming sportsbooks or even while sitting on their couch using their cell phone That would be a misread of the situation FILE Philadelphia Phillies Pete Rose waves while standing on first base after current the National League s all-time career hitting record in the eighth inning of baseball tournament against the St Louis Cardinals Monday Aug in Philadelphia AP Photo File FILE Former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose stands on first base as he acknowledges the crowd during ceremonies celebrating the th anniversary of Rose developing Ty Cobb s hit record prior to a baseball battle between the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday Sept in Cincinnati AP Photo Al Behrman File A bronze statue and a banner of former Cincinnati Reds performer Pete Rose are seen outside the Great American Ball Park Tuesday May in Cincinnati AP Photo Carolyn Kaster Show Caption of FILE Philadelphia Phillies Pete Rose waves while standing on first base after urgent the National League s all-time career hitting record in the eighth inning of baseball event against the St Louis Cardinals Monday Aug in Philadelphia AP Photo File Expand If anything the championship s integrity is even more critical and more tightly policed than ever Gambling on baseball is still as taboo as it was in Rose and Jackson may get a few posthumous honors after their careers were tarnished by their respective gambling scandals but the damage to their reputations is done Manfred changed the league s protocol on permanent ineligibility saying any bans would expire at death a shift that impacts former players coaches and owners Under the Hall of Fame s current rules the earliest Rose or Jackson could be inducted into the Hall of Fame would be Obviously a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the battle Manfred announced in his declaration on Tuesday Moreover it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve Manfred s office is still coming down hard on current players caught gambling on baseball San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned permanently in for betting on the sport while four others were suspended for one year even though the four others who all placed their bets as minor leaguers had wagered less than Marcano was the first ongoing performer in a century banned for life because of gambling If anything the ease of sports gambling has raised the level of vigilance with MLB partnering with betting companies to spot suspicious wagers Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired for sharing sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball Ippei Mizuhara the former interpreter for Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani was sentenced to nearly five years in prison after he stole almost million from the Los Angeles Dodgers participant s bank account partly to cover illegal gambling debts The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our greater part critical priority protecting the integrity of our games for the fans Manfred declared when suspending Marcano The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century Specific are concerned this resolution for Rose and Jackson imperils the integrity of the sport Rose s ban was signed by then-commissioner A Bartlett Giamatti and his son Marcus noted Tuesday that he was incredibly disappointed by Manfred s ruling He called it a very dark day for baseball the country and the fans Without integrity the challenge of baseball will cease to exist he noted Without integrity how will fans ever trust the purity of the event itself ever again A purity built on the principle of fair play Related Articles Commentary Pete Rose reinstatement sends terrible message to women Javy Baez hits pair of -run homers to hand Red Sox their the greater part brutal loss of the season Pete Rose Shoeless Joe Jackson reinstated eligible for Hall of Fame MLB reinstates Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson making them Hall of Fame eligible Tanner Houck Red Sox mauled by Tigers in - rout For others the juxtaposition of Manfred s posthumous leniency for Rose and Jackson and the harshness of Marcano s punishment seemed to strike the correct balance I ve unfailingly maintained I think he should have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained of Rose Again not discounting what went on and how serious that I think that is and maybe how that should have affected being with the club and all those things But when it came to the Hall of Fame it felt pretty simple to me that he inevitably should have been in there It s a stance that has revealed increasing popularity over the years Rose had one of the the bulk productive careers in MLB history and his nickname Charlie Hustle embodied so much of what made him a popular and productive participant He was a -time All-Star and holds records for hits games at-bats plate appearances and singles He was the NL Rookie of the Year MVP and World Series MVP and a three-time NL batting champion Congratulations to Pete s family his teammates as well as his supporters who have waited several years for this opportunity for consideration Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt explained Schmidt wrote a column for the AP in advocating for Rose s reinstatement Jackson was a career hitter and one of the battle s early superstars He died in but remains one of baseball s greater part recognizable names in part for his depiction by Ray Liotta in the movie Field of Dreams Now both players could be honored in Cooperstown by the end of the decade The olive branch is welcome news for numerous baseball fans but gambling on the sport remains one of its cardinal sins even if placing a bet is easier than ever To work your whole life to get to the major leagues in whatever role and then lose that over sports betting or gambling that s a huge penalty Manfred mentioned last year I really truly believe that we are in a better position to know what s going on this day than we were in the old days where it was all illegal AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this story AP MLB https apnews com hub mlb