Pete Rose Reinstatement: Baseball Great Meets With MLB Commissioner, Decision To Be Made By End Of 2015

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred met with Pete Rose on Thursday to discuss the possibility of reinstating the former Cincinnati Reds great back into baseball. A decision will be made by the end of 2015, according to reports.

T.J. Quinn of “Outside the Lines" reported that Rose spoke with Manfred and his representatives on Thursday for a little less than two hours at MLB’s offices in Manhattan. Sources said they don’t expect Rose to be reinstated, meaning he would be kept out of the Hall of Fame.

“On Thursday, September 24th, Commissioner Rob Manfred met with Pete Rose and his representatives at Major League Baseball’s New York office regarding Mr. Rose’s application for reinstatement,” MLB said in an official statement. “Commissioner Manfred informed Mr. Rose that he will make a decision on his application by the end of the calendar year. Both parties have agreed to refrain from further comment.”

Rose was banned from the league in 1989 when an investigation revealed that he had placed bets on games when he was the manager of the Reds. “Outside the Lines” reported in June that Rose might have gambled as a player, though he hasn’t admitted to doing so. In 2004, Rose finally admitted to betting on games as a manager.

"What I'm going to do -- and I'm not the kind of guy who ever ducks a question -- but I'm going to meet with the commissioner in the near future," Rose said in August when asked about information that indicated he gambled as a player. "And believe me when I tell you I'm going to tell the commissioner everything that I did, good bad and indifferent, and we'll go from there."

Rose posted Hall-of-Fame statistics as a player, and earned the nickname "Charlie Hustle" for his on-field grit. He’s the all-time hits leader with 4,256, and was selected to 17 All-Star games in his career.