Phillies Rumors: Club given permission to have Rose on Wall of Fame ballot

By: Matt Alberston, Historical Columnist

Pete Rose may very well be the the next person inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame this year. An article by Inquirer columnist Bob Brookover  explained that such a scenario is likely to play out in 2017. 

A baseball source said Thursday that the Phillies have been given approval by Major League Baseball to induct Rose onto their Wall of Fame, an annual honor bestowed upon the organization's greatest players. The process for that to happen begins with fan balloting, which is likely to open online at phillies.com later this month.

Rose signed with the Phillies in 1978 after spending 16 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, where he was a 12 time all-star and two time World Series champion. He was an integral piece to the Phillies 1980 World Series championship and many of his teammates have said that his attitude, intensity, and experience helped to push the club over the hump in 1980. Eight of Rose's teammates from the 1980 team are already on the Wall of Fame. 

Rose accepted a permanent ban from major league baseball in 1989 and is still ineligible for inclusion on Hall of Fame ballots, a result of Rose's gambling on baseball while he was acting manager of the Reds. Since the Louisville Grays scandal of 1877, numerous player's have been banned by major league baseball for gambling on baseball and/or throwing  games. But relations between he, his former clubs, and major league baseball have thawed in recent years, beginning with his inclusion on the all-century team at the All-Star Game in Boston in 1999. He was inducted into the Red's Hall of Fame last year during a contest at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. It is that event that paved the way for the Phillies to do the same this year. 

Baseball fans everywhere, especially Philies fans, have clamored for major league baseball to remove the permanent ban which would allow his name to be considered for Hall of Fame induction by the Veteran's Committee (a discussion for another day). Rose, who turns 76 this year, has a much better chance of earning induction into the Phillies Wall of Fame. Advanced statistics show that Rose, who joined the Phillies when he was 39, was an average performer while with the Phillies, but his positive influence in the clubhouse pushed the club into the World Series in 1980 and 1983. Fans remember him fondly in Philadelphia and it would be a foregone conclusion that he would be inducted into the club's Wall of Fame this year on August 12. His heads-up play while backing up Bob Boone with one out during the 9th inning of Game 6 of the 1980 World Series is iconic and is ingrained in Philadelphia sports lore. 

I think Rose should be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame, despite his average statistics while he played for Philadelphia. Despite the SABRmetric revolution of the 2000's, intangibles still – and always will – play an important role in baseball. Furthermore, he's beloved in Philadelphia and his induction will result in a sellout for a rebuilding team and provide positive press. In short, the franchise would be crazy not to push major league baseball to see that his name is on the Wall of Fame ballot this year. 

It is premature, but that does not matter, welcome back to Philadelphia Pete, and congratulations on the great news.