Ex-MLB commissioner has blunt take on Pete Rose's Hall of Fame eligibility after his death

All-time MLB hits leader who was denied a place in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown leaves a controversial legacy.

The death of Pete Rose on Monday re-ignited the debate about whether he should be taken off MLB’s ineligible list and voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame one way or the other.

Former MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent played a role in the former Cincinnati Reds manager’s agreement to go on the ineligible list. Vincent was the deputy commissioner at the time. When Rose applied for reinstatement after Vincent took over the job following Bart Giamatti’s death, he did not act on it. Rose’s reinstatement applications were never accepted.

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MLB commissioner Fay Vincent talks to reporters prior to the 1991 MLB All Star game at the Sky Dome in Toronto on July 9, 1991. (RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports)

Vincent, now 86, spoke about Rose’s career with The Athletic after Rose’s death was revealed.

"I think he was devoted to baseball in the sense of the game, and his effort was certainly intense," Vincent told the outlet. "He had a series of problems relating to his standards for conduct. He made some mistakes as he came along, and by the time I got to know him and Bart and I dealt with him in the betting issue, it was really too late. 

"I mean, he had formed his attitude and his character, and I’m afraid that he really thought that money was so important, and he was betting a lot, and he lost a lot, and I think the corruption problem in his life was a serious one."

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Montreal Expos Pete Rose, #14, celebrates his 4,000th career hit with teammates against the Philadelphia Phillies at Olympic Stadium in Montreal on