Commissioner denies Pete Rose's appeal to lift lifetime ban

Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader will continue to be barred from the league.

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Monday that Pete Rose's permanent ban for betting on baseball won't be lifted.

"In short, Mr. Rose has not presented credible evidence of a reconfigured life either by an honest acceptance by him of his wrongdoing, so clearly established by the Dowd Report, or by a rigorous, self-aware, and sustained program of avoidance by him of all the circumstances that led to his permanent eligibility in 1989," Manfred said in a statement.

"Absent such credible evidence, allowing him to work in the game presents an unacceptable risk of a future violation by him of Rule 21, and thus to the integrity of our sport."

The 74-year-old met with Manfred in late September to appeal the suspension for a third time, claiming that he has learned his lesson, and hoped it would be removed.

''I've been suspended a long time, but I made the mistake, and I'm paying the consequences,'' Rose told reporters in September. ''If I'm ever given a second chance, I'll be the happiest guy in the world. I'm an American. This is America, you get a second chance. ... I won't need a third chance.''

Rose admitted in 2004 that he bet on baseball as a manager. In June, ESPN uncovered records that suggested he had been involved in gambling as a player. Manfred said he found it troubling that Rose initially denied that he continues to bet on baseball, and only admitted to it later in the interview.

"During our meeting, Mr. Rose told me that he has continued to bet on horse racing, and on professional sports, including baseball," Manfred said. "Those bets may have been permitted by law in the jurisdictions in which they were placed, but this fact does not mean that the bets would be permissible if made by a player or manager subject to Rule 21."

Manfred noted that Rose will continue to be allowed to participate in "ceremonial activities that present no threat to the integrity of the game," under his approval. The commissioner also added that it is not his part to determine Rose's eligibility for the Hall of Fame.

The three-time batting champion's major-league career spanned 24 seasons, 19 of which came with the Cincinnati Reds. Rose was a 17-time All-Star, a part of three World Series-winning teams (1975-76, 1980), and won the NL Rookie of the Year (1963), NL MVP (1973), and World Series MVP (1975). He was named to MLB's All-Century Team in 1999, and took part in the 2015 All-Star Game ceremony in Cincinnati.