MLB fans were surprised to find out two dead stars were reinstated on May 13, 2025.
(New York, NY) – In a stunning move, Major League Baseball has reinstated two of its most controversial stars. Joe “Shoeless” Jackson — who was permanently banned following the fallout of the so-called “Black Sox” scandal, has been reinstated, and becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame. Similarly, the recently-deceased Pete Rose was been reinstated after his ban for betting on games.
Both men have been historically linked for years, given the MLB ban, and each man’s situation — as tied to gambling. More specifically, then-commissioner Bart Giamatti banned Rose after determining he had bet on his Cincinnati Reds games, wile serving as manager. Although Rose maintained for years he never placed those bets — he later admitted he did place bets, but only on his team to win — never lose. Still, the ban persisted. As Rose got older there was some hope from fans he could be reinstated, and take his place in Cooperstown, New York — but that didn’t happen prior to Rose’s 2024 death.
Rose is the all-time leader in MLB history for career hits. As for Jackson, his case has become less emotional for many — given he played so many years ago. Still, he is considered one of baseball’s best players in its history. Jackson posted a .408 batting average in 1911, which is among the top 10 highest batting averages ever recorded for a single season.
In 1919, the heavily-favored White Sox (for whom Jackson played) lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. A year later, Jackson was acquitted of criminal charges after he and other players were accused of intentionally losing, for the benefit of gamblers. It’s long been rumored that Arnold Rothstein helped organize the caper. Jackson maintained his innocence, but was banned from the game along with seven other players — by then-commissioner Kennesaw “Mountain” Landis. He then played for years under an assumed name throughout the American south.
