MLB Investigates Pete Rose: New Details Emerge from FBI Documents

Major League Baseball began investigating Pete Rose in 1988, prior to the full-scale investigation that resulted in his lifetime ban in 1989. According to newly released FBI documents, MLB suspected that Rose was betting on baseball and was deeply in debt, estimated between $300,000 to $400,000 at the time.

The investigation was initially suspended at the request of federal law enforcement due to concerns that it might impede ongoing investigations into Rose's finances. MLB later resumed its investigation after receiving clearance and hired John Dowd, a former federal prosecutor, to lead the effort, which culminated in the Dowd Report and Rose's lifetime ban in August 1989.

The FBI documents indicate that MLB had looked into Rose's gambling associations as early as the 1970s, but no action was taken then. The documents, released in response to an ESPN request, include 93 pages, mostly redacted, detailing Rose's gambling habits and interactions with bookmakers.

Rose would later serve five months in federal prison for filing false tax returns related to his gambling income, and despite his passing at age 83 in 2022, questions remain about his eligibility for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

According to Hall of Fame rules, the earliest consideration of Rose's candidacy would be in 2027 by the Classic Era Committee, which will evaluate his integrity, sportsmanship, and character.