White Sox Player Says MLB's Decision On Pete Rose 'Long Overdue'

CINCINNATI – It's Pete Rose Night at Great American Ballpark as the Reds host the White Sox at 7:14 p.m. ET. The Reds will honor MLB's all-time hits leader with a variety of pregame ceremonies and in-game highlights on the video board.

The celebration comes one day after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's ruling that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of a disciplined individual. Rose was put on the permanently ineligible list because he bet on games. But since he passed away on Sept. 30, 2024, Rose and 16 others are now eligible for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He won't be able to experience Tuesday's ceremonies with the Reds fan base, though.

White Sox utility man Josh Rojas shared his thoughts on the situation before Wednesday's game.

"Yeah, I think it's a cool day. I think it's definitely long overdue," Rojas said. "I think it would have been cooler to see him reinstated while he was still here, but I guess better late than never."

"My first thought was that I thought it should have been done while he was still here. I mean, it's gonna be awesome for his family and for the people he left behind to see that he's been reinstated. But I think it would have been awesome to see historically one of the better hitters in this game get to see himself be taken off that list."

Though Rojas was born about five years after Rose's last season as a manager, he still appreciates the legacy left behind. Along with having the most hits of all time, Rose leads MLB history in games played, at-bats and plate appearances. He was also a 17-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion and a two-time Gold Glove winner, among other accolades.

"Just seeing his videos, he played really hard and some people didn't like it," Rojas said. "But I thought it was awesome to see how hard he played and kind of the love of the game he had."