Philadelphia Phillies' Legend Weighs in on Pete Rose's Reinstatement and Hall of Fame Chances

Mike Schmidt, who played with Rose during his time with the Phillies, is happy to see Rose get an opportunity to make the Hall of Fame.

Mike Schmidt acknowledges the crowd during the introduction of returning inductees at the National Baseball Hall of Fame's 2024 induction ceremony Sunday, July 21, 2024, at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York. | JON RATHBUN / Herkimer Times Telegram / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Tuesday, Major League Baseball officially reinstated Pete Rose and the members of the 1919 "Black Sox" that had been previously been banned from baseball. Rose was famously banned for betting on baseball while serving as manager of the Cincinnati Reds.

Commissioner Rob Manfred now says that a lifetime ban ends when a person is dead, and Rose passed away last September.

This opens the door for Rose and for Shoeless Joe Jackson to make the Hall of Fame, though they will still have to be voted in by a special committee.

In the wake of the news, several Rose supporters have spoken up about their happiness at the development. Among them is former Philadelphia Phillies legend Mike Schmidt, who played with Rose from 1979-1983. The two won the World Series together in 1980.

"It's a great day for baseball as Commissioner Manfred has reinstated Pete Rose, making him eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The ongoing question of whether Pete Rose should or shouldn't be in the Hall will be answered by a select panel in the next Classic Baseball Era Committee. Congratulations to Pete's family, his teammates, as well as his supporters who have waited many years for this opportunity to consideration."

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt on Pete Rose reinstatement pic.twitter.com/LpuA3okBt3

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 13, 2025

Schmidt, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995, spent the entirety of his 18-year career with the Phillies. A 12-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glover, a six-time Silver Slugger and a three-time MVP, he hit 548 career home runs.

As for Rose, he is of the greatest players to ever play the game. He spent 24 years in the big leagues with the Reds, Montreal Expos and Phillies. He is baseball's all-time hit leader at 4,256 hits. He also leads baseball in games played, plate appearances and at-bats.

Nicknamed "Charlie Hustle" for the way in which he played the game, Rose was a lifetime .303 hitter who carried a .375 on-base percentage. All in all, he was a 17-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glover, an MVP, a World Series MVP, a Rookie of the Year, a three-time World Series champion and a three-time batting champion. He also won a Silver Slugger Award.

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