“I copied Shoeless Joe Jackson’s style because I thought he was the greatest hitter I had ever seen and the greatest natural hitter I ever saw. He is the guy who made me a hitter.”
— Babe Ruth
Have you noticed the explosion of sports betting ads lately? Everywhere you look—commercial breaks, outfield wall banners, digital boards flashing behind home plate, and betting kiosks inside ballparks—the gambling industry and Major League Baseball are tied at the hip.
The irony is stark. Two of the greatest players to step onto a big-league diamond, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Pete Rose, spent decades banned from baseball over gambling allegations.
In May 2025, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred pardoned both men, clearing the path for them to be considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Scandal, exile and the numbers
Things have a way of mellowing over time. When two of the game’s all-time greats are denied the honor their records demand, reconciliation is long overdue.
Did they commit acts that breached the integrity of the game? In Rose’s case, yes. He gambled on baseball and potentially against his own team, the Cincinnati Reds. Jackson was accused of participating in the scheme to throw the 1919 World Series with the “Black Sox.” Yet a court acquitted Jackson and his teammates of criminal charges before Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned them anyway. Decades later, in August 1989, Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti officially banned Rose for life.
Despite the exile, their numbers are undeniable:
Shoeless Joe Jackson: Ranks among the highest MLB career batting averages at .356, trailing only Ty Cobb (.366) and Rogers Hornsby (.358). In the 1919 World Series, Jackson led both teams with 12 hits in eight games, batting .375 with six RBIs, five runs scored, three doubles and a home run.
Pete Rose: Played 24 hard-nosed seasons, leaving as MLB’s all-time hits leader with 4,256. A 17-time All-Star, Rose won the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, the 1973 NL MVP, three batting titles, three World Series rings and the 1975 World Series MVP. His No. 14 is retired by the Reds, and he was named to the MLB All-Century Team.
A decision in the hands of history
The fate of both stars rests with the Classic Baseball Era Committee.
Support for both players remains strong across the country. In South Carolina, Jackson’s home state, fans and historians have long campaigned for his induction—a cause championed by the late major league pitcher and war hero Lou Brissie, as well as Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Likewise, most of Rose’s former teammates have voiced support for his enshrinement.
Cooperstown already holds plaques for players with far less impressive credentials than Rose or Jackson. These men were iconic superstars who posted incredible statistics in the game they loved. When committee members cast their ballots, hopefully they will remember they are judging a ballplayer’s legacy on the field—not picking a Sunday school teacher.
Lamar Garrard is a native of Augusta, Georgia, and a graduate of Richmond Academy and Georgia Southern University. Email him at rlgarrard@nu-z.net.