Application submitted

Pete Rose has said that his lifetime ban from baseball is not a proportionate punishment when compared to sanctions for steroid use and sign stealing.

Rose’s lawyers submitted an application for reinstatement to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Wednesday. The last attempt the 79-year-old made to have his lifetime ban lifted was in December 2015, with Manfred denying the application on that occasion.?

Rose’s lawyers submitted an application for reinstatement to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred

The most recent application states: “The time has come to recognize that Mr. Rose’s penalty has become grossly disproportionate relative to Major League Baseball’s treatment of severe wrongdoing by ownership, management and players.”

The application states that Rose’s actions never affected the competitive nature of games he placed bets on. This is in contrast to the steroids and sign-stealing scandals that have rocked the sport in recent years.

Rose’s application highlights how these offenses dramatically affected results, including the outcome of two World Series in a row. 

Scandals marring the sport

Rose’s lawyers pointed toward the length of bans received by players who were found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs.

These players would only be subject to a lifetime ban from the sport if they failed testing on three occasions. This lifetime ban also has the option of reinstatement, with Jenrry Mejia benefiting from this rule after finishing his time with the major league drug program. 

Players on the permanent ineligibility list cannot appear on the Hall of Fame ballot. Rose also wants this rule to be changed. In total, the petition sent to the MLB on behalf of Rose was 20 pages long.

Reason behind lifetime ban

Rose was given his lifetime ban in 1989 after it was revealed that he placed multiple bets on the team he managed and played for, the Cincinnati Reds, between 1985 and 1987. He only bet on his team to win, never betting against them.

he placed multiple bets on the team he managed and played for, the Cincinnati Reds

The 17-time All-Star has asked to meet Commissioner Manfred. When Rose’s previous request was refused in 2015, Manfred stated that Rose did not show enough acceptance of what he did was wrong. 

Rose sought reinstatement on two other occasions, in 1997 and 2002.