It is strange how specific wins can feel like heartbreak. One moment, you are witnessing history rewrite itself—and the next, you are left wondering why it could not have come just a little ago. For the Reds veteran’s daughter, the weight of a long fight finally lifted, only to highlight a void that can never be filled.

This was not just related to transforming a rule and correcting a record. It was related to a lifetime of hope, a decades-long silence and a bittersweet twist that turned triumph into a quiet kind of sorrow. What came after was more than news—it was a confession wrapped in regret.

Major League Baseball made headlines after Commissioner Rob Manfred removed Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list, along with 16 other deceased individuals. The move makes him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration—something he’d long fought for in life but never got to see realized. Now that it has finally happened, it’s truly an emotional moment for his loved ones. The legend’s daughter, Fawn Rose, expressed her emotions in an exclusive conversation with The Athletic.

“I wish our dad was here to share this with his family and with all the fans,” she said. The decision came months after Rose died in September 2024 and followed a formal petition by the family earlier this year, requesting a review of the lifetime ban.

Manfred justified the move by stating that MLB Rule 21, which serves the purpose of integrity, has not been violated. As it does not apply after the death of the individual, signaling a shift in MLB’s stance on posthumous justice. This opens the door for the Hall of Fame’s Classic Baseball Era Committee to potentially vote on Rose’s induction in 2027. But for Fawn, the announcement wasn’t just historic—it was personal. Her father’s name was cleared, but the moment she hoped to share with him became a memory she will now carry alone.

The mental weight of the news hit Fawn in an unlikely place—the Seattle airport. She was about to board a flight to Cincinnati for a night honoring her father when she received word that Manfred had finally lifted the ban. It was not just relief or vindication that washed over her—it was emotion that took over before she could process it. Her teenage twins, Jude and Eden, looked on confused at first, until they quickly understood: something monumental had happened.

What made the moment more poignant was how her siblings responded. Her brother Pete Jr. and sister Cara broke down in tears when she called them. The words were instinctual and unanimous: “I wish our dad was here to share this“. For a man who had been the face of baseball’s most famous fall from grace, it was the one moment of redemption that truly mattered to his family. However, the timing made it all the more painful—just months too late.

Interestingly, Fawn wasn’t entirely surprised by the decision. She and Pete Jr. had speculated that MLB might wait until their father passed to overturn the ban. Still, the actual moment carried a gravity they had not fully braced for. This wasn’t just about their dad’s legacy—it was about the closure that had escaped them for so long. That closure started forming months earlier, when their family attorney, Jeffrey Lenkov, arranged a private meeting with Manfred and MLB’s communications officer, Pat Courtney.

Initially, Lenkov hadn’t planned to bring Fawn along. But as the meeting approached, he realized it was essential for MLB to hear Pete Rose’s story through the people who knew him best. “It was vital to hear Pete’s voice through his children“, Lenkov explained. “Fawn was the proper choice as the oldest.” And when she spoke, she didn’t hold back. “I did not sugarcoat anything. It was the good, bad and the ugly“, she said. “He is at fault. But, he is our dad. And he is human“, she added.

Fawn’s honesty, it turns out, was the most powerful tool in the room. She told the commissioner everything—her father’s mistakes, his stubborn pride and the pain that lingered for years. And while Courtney wouldn’t confirm whether that moment swayed Manfred, Fawn felt heard in a way she never had before. “This will probably sound stupid”, she admitted, “but he listened to me almost from his heart“.

Despite the warmth in that meeting, the road to reinstatement was anything but smooth. Lenkov submitted a new petition in January 2025 and kept the entire process quiet—even from Fawn’s own mother. It was never about media pressure or headlines. For us Fawn said, “it was more about, let’s get some closure… Then we can put this piece to bed“.

Even though the ban is lifted, there’s one more milestone the Rose family still hopes for—Cooperstown. The Hall of Fame had always been Pete’s dream, and the Classic Baseball Era Committee could finally give him that shot in 2027. But Fawn, like before, remains grounded in the moment. “There is part of me that just wants to focus on this moment“, she said. “This is a big first step, not just for my dad, but for other players who received lifetime bans“.

Still, when asked what she’d say to that committee, she didn’t hesitate for long. “There’s never going to be another Pete Rose“, she said. “Someone who played with heart and grit and left everything on the field… I know there’s the other side of it. I’m a parent. But I am a kid. I just wish he could be around if it did happen”.

How Cincinnati Keeps Pete Rose’s Legacy Alive Beyond the Ban

For the people of Cincinnati, Pete Rose never needed reinstatement to be considered a legend. Less than 24 hours after Major League Baseball lifted his lifetime ban, the Reds wasted no time paying tribute to their hometown hero. Fans packing Great American Ball Park on Wednesday night will receive replica No. 14 jerseys, a powerful nod to Rose’s iconic number and enduring presence in the city’s baseball identity. The game against the White Sox also features a pregame panel with some of Rose’s closest teammates—George Foster, Ken Griffey Sr., Barry Larkin, and Eric Davis—all sharing memories that highlight Rose’s passion and impact.

The emotional weight of the moment deepens with Rose’s family delivering the game ball and serving as honorary captains. Though Rose passed in 2024 at age 83, his presence still looms large in the hearts of Cincinnati fans. Despite the scandal that clouded the end of his career, Rose’s tireless hustle, record-setting 4,256 hits, and role in two World Series titles make him a cornerstone of the Reds’ identity. In a city that embraced him through every twist of his story, the Reds’ tribute is more than just a ceremony—it is a communal declaration that Pete Rose was and always will be one of their personal.

Pete Rose’s journey from baseball exile to posthumous redemption may have taken decades, but its impact is being felt in every corner of Cincinnati and beyond. While the Hall of Fame question still lingers, one truth remains clear—his legacy is no longer defined by a ban, but by the hearts he moved and the records he set. Want more updates like this? Follow for the latest on MLB’s biggest moments and untold stories.

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