Major League Baseball often sparks heated debate when it comes to disciplinary decisions. These issues have resurfaced, yet again, following a recent policy change by the league. This move, concerning players once banned for life, has stirred considerable discussion among fans. The name in the spotlight? Pete Rose. However, a former controversial star pitcher has thrown fresh fuel onto an already fiery ongoing debate about fairness in baseball.

The league made a large policy change on May 14—the day the Cincinnati Reds honored the legendary Rose. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced his decision to lift the lifetime ban imposed on 15 MLB personnel, who are now deceased. The league reasoned that these players no longer threaten baseball’s integrity. And now, controversial baseball legends, including Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, can be considered for Hall of Fame induction.

This MLB announcement drew a swift response from former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer. He took to social media with a pointed question for the league, asking, “So, since Pete is welcome back now, does that go for everyone who has been blackballed? Or do you actually have to be guilty of something to qualify for that?” His sarcasm clearly underscored his own ongoing frustration with the league. The pitcher feels the league’s disciplinary actions lack true consistency.

MLB reinstated him in December 2022 after a record 194-game suspension. This suspension was about sexual assault allegations, though no criminal charges were filed. Despite this reinstatement, no MLB team has signed the former Cy Young winner. He says some teams blame media concerns, implying MLB dictates their hiring choices. Bauer recently stated, “I have served more than double that time out of the league…Do I not deserve to have an opportunity to come back?” 

Bauer uses the word “blackballed” decisively, saying that there was an unspoken, coordinated effort by the league to keep him out. Following his release by the Dodgers in January 2023, he did not receive a contract offer from any MLB club. The former Cy Young winner then pitched successfully in Japan in 2023 and Mexico in 2024. He consistently willing to play for the league’s minimum salary. In April 2024, Bauer pointedly asked, “At what point do I get to go back to work and continue earning a living?”

MLB’s stance on banned individuals and Pete Rose

The idea of a player being informally banned from baseball is nothing new. The man who hit more home runs than anyone else ever, Barry Bonds, found himself out of a job following the 2007 season. This despite his numbers and willingness to sign for league minimum. Similarly, pitcher Curt Schilling’s controversial post-career political statements are widely believed to have hurt his Hall of Fame chances.

History has given us more examples of perceived blackballing in America’s pastime. Before those formal commissioner powers solidified, players like Hal Chase and Heinie Zimmerman were shunned. Teams avoided them due to gambling associations, even before official bans. Pitcher Ray Fisher was blacklisted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1921 because of a contract dispute. Later, the Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis turned this into a ban. Danny Gardella was among a few others who joined the Mexican League in the 1940s also faced a five-year blacklist. These instances reveal a long-standing pattern of informal exclusion.

MLB’s recent policy change clears path for Pete Rose to appear on Hall of Fame ballot. That change makes him, and other deceased banned individuals, eligible for consideration by Cooperstown. The National Baseball Hall of Fame acknowledged MLB’s decision. It stated, “Major League Baseball’s decision…will allow for the Hall of Fame candidacy of such individuals to now be considered.” Rose’s case can now go before the Hall’s Classic Baseball Era Committee. That committee next meets in December 2027. So, Rose may be eligible for induction in the summer of 2028, but eligibility does not guarantee enshrinement.