MLB Commish Rob Manfred says he wasn’t swayed by Pete Rose’s apology letter, nixes FTX partnership

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday his position remains unchanged after reading Pete Rose’s letter pleading for forgiveness.

“I believe that when you bet on baseball, from Major League Baseball’s perspective, you belong on the permanently ineligible list,” Manfred said while speaking with reporters.

Rose is once again trying to get back in the league’s good graces and wrote a letter addressed to Manfred, apologizing for his involvement in a 1980s gambling scandal.

Rose’s letter, obtained and published by TMZ, hasn’t swayed Manfred, though the commissioner left an opening. 

The former Cincinnati Reds player and manager was banned from MLB in 1989 as part of a legal settlement. Rose, now in his 80s, cited his advanced age in the apology letter and asked for Hall of Fame consideration. 

MLB LEGEND PETE ROSE ON SPORTS BETTING: ‘I CAME ALONG AT THE WRONG TIME’

Rose’s letter apparently has not influenced Manfred.

“When I dealt with the issue, the last time he applied for reinstatement, I made clear that I didn’t think that the function of that baseball list was the same as the eligibility criteria for the Hall of Fame,” Manfred said. “That remains my position. I think it’s a conversation that really belongs in the Hall of Fame board. I’m on that board, and it’s just not appropriate for me to get in front of that conversation.”

In Rose’s letter, he mentioned he thinks about the Hall of Fame on a daily basis.

“I am writing today for three reasons,” Rose wrote. “First, because at my age I want to be 100% sure that you understand how much I mean it when I say that I’m sorry. Second, to ask for your forgiveness. And third, because I still think every day about what it would mean to be considered for the Hall of Fame.”

Manfred also revealed FTX would not return as a league sponsor next year. The cryptocurrency company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month.

“The FTX development was a little jarring,” Manfred said. “We have been really careful moving forward in this space. We’ve been really religious about staying away from coins themselves as opposed to more company-based sponsorships. We think that was prudent, particularly given the way things unfolded. We will proceed with caution in the future.”

Last season, FTX’s logo appeared on the uniform patches for umpires.