CINCINNATI — Pete Rose and ‘‘Shoeless’’ Joe Jackson in the Hall of Fame?
You can bet on it.
It’s only fair because you can bet on a lot of other things across the street from Great American Ball Park, Reds fan Nancy Ayers said, hours after learning Major League Baseball’s all-time hit king had been posthumously reinstated from his lifetime ban for betting on games he managed.
‘‘It shouldn’t be lost on anybody that you can walk right over there and bet all you want,’’ Ayers said, pointing to a BetMGM sportsbook steps from the stadium. ‘‘It’s crazy.’’
On a wet, breezy evening just off Pete Rose Way — with a BetMGM billboard beckoning beyond right field — ballplayers, coaches and fans welcomed a new MLB policy that wipes out bans for disgraced players after they die.
The timing — likely no coincidence — came a day before Pete Rose Night at the ballpark against the Reds’ opponents in the 1919 World Series that branded the diving Chicago squad as the ‘‘Black Sox” for generations of fans.
The feeling was overwhelmingly positive and long overdue, many fans and players agreed.
‘‘Rose might have been an a—— outside the chalk, but he was the best to ever do it,’’ said Ayers’ husband, Jeff, who owns three seats from Cincinnati’s old Riverfront Stadium that Rose called home. ‘‘Now let’s get ‘Shoeless Joe’ in the Hall of Fame, too.’’
‘‘Free ‘Shoeless Joe’!’’ one out-of-towner wearing a Paul Konerko jersey cheered on the concourse.
The cheers went up across the ballpark at a midgame message on the videoboard noting Rose’s reinstatement on a half-filled night at the stadium. Fans weathered a 1-hour, 45-minute rain delay before the first pitch.
The Sox — rated considerable underdogs by the major books heading into the game — beat the odds with a 5-1 win in 10 innings, including six strong from Jonathan Cannon and a three-run homer from third baseman Miguel Vargas.
Earlier, it was a smattering of ‘‘oohs’’ and surprised laughs that spread through the White Sox’ clubhouse a few hours before the series opener between the teams, which was more than a century removed from their infamous World Series.
Luis Robert Jr., Josh Rojas, Lenyn Sosa and Brooks Baldwin glanced at the news splashing across clubhouse TVs over their game of cards but quickly returned to the game at hand.
Players in the mostly Gen Z locker room largely applauded the reinstatement of Rose. Few could name the specifics that landed ‘‘Shoeless Joe’’ on MLB’s blacklist for 104 years, along with Eddie Cicotte, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Fred McMullin, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver and Lefty Williams.
Nor could Sox assistant general manager Josh Barfield.
‘‘I only know about that because of the movie ‘Field of Dreams,’ ’’ he said.
But Barfield said he was a huge Rose fan growing up.
‘‘They paid their penalty,’’ he said. ‘‘I think it would have been pretty cool if [Rose] could have been alive to see it.’’
Sox right-hander Bryse Wilson said Rose’s situation ‘‘was a little different because he was betting on himself to be successful.’’
‘‘Obviously, he wasn’t supposed to do it, but I think it’s awesome he’s back in,’’ Wilson said. ‘‘Put him in the Hall of Fame now.’’
He nodded at the sportsbook ad looming over his shoulder.
‘‘It’s in our faces all the time,’’ he said. ‘‘But at the end of the day, just don’t do it.’’
Sox manager Will Venable, whose father, Max, was on the Reds in the 1980s, grappled with Rose’s ‘‘complicated legacy.’’
‘‘My dad played with him and had great things to say about him,’’ the younger Venable said. ‘‘Just a guy that went out there and played extremely hard all the time. . . . He broke the rules and had to deal with the consequences, but I’m glad to see that he’s been reinstated.’’
In a statement, the Reds thanked commissioner Rob Manfred, hailed Rose and said, ‘‘Reds Country will continue to celebrate him as we
always have.’’
The Sox’ official take was even more reserved, saying: ‘‘The White Sox trust the process currently in place will thoughtfully evaluate each player’s contributions to the game.’’
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