Most of the baseball world spent Tuesday evening celebrating Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose’s reinstatement from the permanently ineligible list.
Figures like former New York Mets pitcher Robert Stock are why we said “most” rather than “all.”
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“Pete Rose’s reinstatement brought to you by FanDuel!” Stock wrote on X/Twitter.
Stock, a 2009 second-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals, is among the few baseball-affiliated figures to publicly disagree with Tuesday’s news. Commissioner Rob Manfred removed Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and 14 other players—along with former Philadelphia Phillies owner William Cox—from the ineligible list.
New York Mets starting pitcher Robert Stock in 2021Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Manfred ruled that a lifetime punishment, which Rose accepted in 1989, ends when one dies; Rose passed away last fall at 83 years old.
“Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game,” Manfred said. “Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.”
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Rose is expected to be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2027 via the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Any figures on that ballot, including Rose and Jackson, need 12 of 16 votes to earn induction.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Pete Rose in 1984Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images
Although Stock spent time in the Reds’ organization, it is unclear if he and Rose ever crossed paths. Stock went 9-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 70.1 innings for Single-A Daytona and Double-A Pensacola during the 2017 campaign.
The 35-year-old Stock is 2-4 with a 4.70 ERA over 56 games (three starts) in parts of five big-league seasons. He allowed one run across two innings for the Red Sox on April 7.
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Stock entered Wednesday with a 3.41 ERA and 45-17 K-BB ratio in 34.1 innings at Worcester.
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