Longtime Reds Announcer Criticizes MLB Over Poor Timing of Pete Rose Hall of Fame Eligibility
Cincinnati Reds legend Marty Brennaman blasts MLB over timing of Pete Rose's reinstatement decision.
Longtime Cincinnati Reds announcer Marty Brennaman has voiced his concerns over Major League Baseball’s decision to lift Pete Rose’s permanent ineligibility from the league shortly after the former star’s death. Brennaman, who served as the Reds' play-by-play voice for more than four decades, described the move as untimely and questioned the motives behind MLB's timing.
“I just felt that he had served his jail time, if you will, far longer than he really should’ve had to do it,” Brennaman said in a recent interview. “And the fact that they rushed to make him eligible within a matter of months, to me, was the wrong way to go about doing business.”
Rose, the all-time MLB hits leader with 4,256 career hits, was banned for life in 1989 after an investigation revealed he bet on baseball games while playing for and managing the Reds. The ban made him ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration and cast a long shadow over his legacy, despite his numerous achievements:
- 17-time All-Star selection
- Three-time World Series champion
- National League MVP (1974)
- Three-time batting champion
Brennaman reflected on Rose’s acceptance that the Hall of Fame honor would likely come too late for him to enjoy it personally. According to the announcer, “He had come to grips with the fact that it was not going to happen until after he passed away… He obviously wanted it to happen while he could enjoy it. At the same time, he made the comment that being in the Hall of Fame is more for the family than anybody else.”
Rose’s legacy remains divisive due to his well-documented gambling admissions. As Brennaman noted, “A lot of the things that Pete was involved with were of his own doing. Nobody could ever dispute that, and Pete certainly wouldn’t have done that anymore, after he admitted that he bet on baseball.”
While Rose will not witness a possible Hall of Fame induction, his eligibility means his family may see his name restored among the sport’s greats. Brennaman concluded, “If the best that he could get would be to go for his family, it would probably be satisfying for him right now.”
With Tuesday’s announcement from MLB, Rose—and ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson—can now be considered for baseball’s highest honor, prompting renewed debate over when and how sports should grant forgiveness to its most controversial figures.