Baseball commissioner Manfred promises Rose decision, explores expansion to Mexico

A decision on reinstating Pete Rose to Major League Baseball will be made by the end of the year, Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred told host Marvin Kalb Sept. 28 on the latest edition of "The Kalb Report."

“His requests, or various requests, for reinstatement have been out there for a long time, and he’s entitled to a definitive decision, and I'm going to give him one,” Manfred said of one of the most contentious, long-standing controversies of the game.

Rose, one of the great ball players of all time, was drummed out of Major League Baseball in August 1989 amid accusations that he gambled on baseball games while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds.

He is still the all-time Major League leader in hits, games played, at bats, singles and outs. At 71 years old, Rose is hoping to have the ban lifted, making him eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Manfred, who became commissioner in January, told Kalb that he will not necessarily follow the lead of his predecessor, Bud Selig, in maintaining Rose’s ineligibility.

“I don’t think that I’m prepared to say, or you should think, that I share his (Selig’s) judgment with respect to Pete Rose,” Manfred said. “I haven’t made up my mind yet about Mr. Rose, and when I do there will be a public decision.”

In a wide-ranging discussion on baseball with Kalb, who claimed to be one of its biggest fans, Manfred said he is looking to expand the league into Mexico and Canada.

“Mexico, I think presents a tremendous opportunity for baseball,” he said. “It’s a country where baseball is part of its culture. There would be a really significant broadcasting opportunity, and maybe most important I think a team in Mexico would help baseball engage the Hispanic audience in the United States in a way that we've not always been as successful at as we wish we were.”

But to add a 31st team in Mexico would require expanding to 32 teams to keep the number even, he said. While Cuba is now opening up and has a tremendous baseball culture, the country would have to undergo major economic development before a franchise there would be possible.

“I don't think right now Cuba would be in a position to support a major league franchise,” he said. “But at some point down the road, we love markets where baseball’s part of the culture."

That leaves a market in Canada as the most likely international site for a 32nd team, he said, although he didn’t say where.

In the course of the evening, Manfred:

n Denigrated the idea of eliminating the designated hitter rule in the American League, despite Kalb’s repeated prodding, saying each league must maintain its own identity.

n Said banning players from chewing tobacco is difficult because the players won’t accept it in contract negotiations.

n Insisted that the number of games in the playoffs is just right and does not need to be expanded or contracted.

n Said play reviews made in controversial calls on the field by umpires watching on special slow-motion monitors in New York has been a “huge plus” for the game because “our research suggested that fans overwhelmingly wanted us to use the best available technology to get important calls on the field correct.”

n Said Major League Baseball.com, which provides news for each of the teams, has been a major money-maker for MLB. This year it distributed $300 million to the teams after all of the expenses were paid. He said the content on MLB.com is as independent as it would be in regular news media.

Manfred waxed eloquently when Kalb asked him to “explain to us from your own heart and soul, what is it about baseball that creates this link with the heart and soul of the country?”

He thought for just a moment.

“I remember the first time my first ball game was at Yankee Stadium," Manfred said. "It was on August 8th, 1968. I remember walking into that ball park. I was ten years old and the ballpark opened in front of me. And it was a magical moment that I will never forget. That day at Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle, who was my hero, hit two home runs. And it turns out that it’s the last time he ever hit two home runs in a game. And if they hadn't taken my phone away from me before this, I would show you the video of those two home runs because I carry it with me on my phone.”

The Kalb Report is a joint production of the National Press Club’s Journalism Institute, the University of Maryland University College, the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center and the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. It is underwritten by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation.