Big News For Baseball Hall

Major League Baseball, and the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum have finally made a change. Commissioner Rob Manfried made a major announcement this afternoon. His ruling now allows players that are on the banned list to be removed from it and become eligible for Hall of Fame inductions posthumously.

Here's the decision from the Commissioner this afternoon (per ESPN): "Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game," Manfred wrote in a letter to attorney Jeffrey M. Lenkov, who petitioned for Rose's removal from the list Jan. 8. "Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve. Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual, and Mr. Rose will be removed from the permanently ineligible list."

Here is the full list of names that are now OFF the banned list, per MLB: Joe Jackson (1919 Black Sox scandal), Buck Weaver (Black Sox), Eddie Cicotte (Black Sox), Lefty Williams (Black Sox), Happy Felsch (Black Sox), Fred McMullin (Black Sox), Swede Risberg (Black Sox), Chick Gandil (Black Sox), Joe Gedeon (Had "guilty knowledge" of gambling activity in 1919), Gene Paulette (Banned in 1920 for associating with gamblers in 1919), Benny Kauff (Banned in 1921 despite his acquittal on auto theft charge. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis deemed him "no longer a fit companion for other ballplayers."), Lee Magee (Banned in 1921 over his disputed back salary elicited evidence of his gambling involvement), Shufflin' Phil Douglas (New York Giants player banned after threatening his manager), Jimmy O'Connell (Giants player banned in 1924 after offering a bribe to another player), Cozy Dolan (Giants coach involved in the O'Connell incident), William Cox (Phillies' owner, banned and forced to sell the team in 1943 for betting on baseball), Pete Rose (Bet on baseball).

It will be a couple of years before any of the players listed become eligible. The earliest possible that anybody on this list can get into the hall of fame could be 2028. Now for the biggest question. Of those listed above, who has the best chance of getting into the Hall?

The two most obvious ones would be Joe Jackson and Pete Rose. Jackson was the hitting star of the deadball era, a lifetime .356 hitter. That was and still is good for the 4th highest in the history of the sport. He only had 1,772 hits by the time his career ended at age 32. But that only ended because of the ban, it could have been so much more had he been able to continue his career.

The most obvious one on this list would be Pete Rose. Won an MVP in 1973, was a 17 time all star, three time batting champion, two time gold glove winner, three time world series champion. Oh yeah and he's the all time leader in games played at 3,562 and the MLB hit king with 4,256. The story with what was behind his ban has been well documented, but it had nothing to do with his playing career.

Will they get in? We will find out in three years time.