Rose, who has been ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration since
being banned in 1989 for allegedly gambling on games while playing
for and managing the Cincinnati Reds, met with Manfred in September
to make a case for reinstatement.
In a written decision, Manfred said Rose still bets on baseball,
even though gambling got him banned from the sport, and that it
would be an "unacceptable risk" to let him back in the game.
"Mr Rose's public and private comments, including his initial
admission in 2004, provide me with little confidence that he has a
mature understanding of his wrongful conduct, that he has accepted
full responsibility for it, or that he understands the damage he has
caused," said Manfred.
"I am also not convinced that he has avoided the type of conduct and
associations that originally led to his placement on the permanently
ineligible list."
Rose, 74, had denied for nearly 15 years that he had bet on
baseball, the game's cardinal sin since 1919 when members of the
Chicago White Sox conspired to throw the World Series.
He finally admitted in his 2004 autobiography to making baseball
wagers when he was Cincinnati's manager but said he never bet
against his team.
Manfred said Rose could still participate in ceremonial activities
that presented no threat to the integrity of the game, provided the
events were approved by him in advance.
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In July, Rose was honored prior to the MLB All-Star Game in
Cincinnati and received a long standing ovation as he joined Hall of
Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Barry Larkin in being voted by
fans as Cincinnati's 'Franchise Four'.
Rose, whose previous efforts to gain leniency from MLB commissioners
were never considered, had earlier this year sent a formal request
to have the ban lifted by Manfred, who took over as MLB Commissioner
in January.
Rose, who grew up in Cincinnati and earned the nickname "Charlie
Hustle" for his aggressive style of play while with the Reds, played
from 1963 to 1986, amassing 4,256 hits, still the major league
record.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Clare Fallon and
Ken Ferris)
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