Robot wives, robot sex partners, and even robot entrepreneurs have made headlines this year, but what about robot umpires?

It seems every baseball fan has called for robot umpires at some point in the 2025 season, especially after fans saw an automated ball-strike challenge system being used during the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

'The meter maids of baseball.'

Multiple calls garnered a challenge from players that changed the course of the game, leaving viewers to invoke the digital strike zone placed on screen whenever an umpire gets a call wrong.

But are the umpires actually getting worse?

Using numbers from a recent Umpire Scorecards post, overall accuracy for umpires in 2025 is 93%. While this may seem low, it's a combination of called-ball accuracy averages (97%) and called-strike accuracy averages (88%).

Scoring the average accuracy rating of an umpire throughout the course of the season and weighing that against what is expected of them, we see that fewer umpires are dipping below the expected performance levels year over year.

In 2022, 35 umpires had an average accuracy rating below what was expected of them. In 2023, that number was 27, and in 2024, it was 21. In 2025, that number dropped to just 16.

Looking back through these years, not only are poor averages less abundant, but the MLB even seems to be getting less lenient about giving inaccurate umpires the go-ahead to call games.

First female MLB umpire Jen Pawol at PNC Park on August 24, 2025, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images

Umpires with below-average accuracy ratings are calling fewer games than before.

In 2025, five of the six worst under-performing umpires (in terms of average accuracy vs. expected accuracy) have played five games or fewer. Just four umpires inside the bottom 10 for worst accuracy overall have umpired more than five games.

Perhaps those umpires will be seen more in the final 30 games of 2025, but it seems unlikely they will reach anywhere close to the number of games that inaccurate umpires got in 2024.

MLB umpiring even took a step forward — or back, depending on fan perspective — with a female umpire appearing twice so far.

Some took Jen Pawol, the first female umpire to call balls and strikes in a regular season game, as an end-of-days scenario for the league, but it was not as bad as expected. While Pawol did not actually rattle any cages in her debut and performed just below average, her second game went mostly unreported when she performed better than her first.

Still, it should be noted that Pawol has the fifth-worst overall accuracy for umpires this season and the third-worst against the expected average. But with what seems to be the new normal, she has been limited to just two games all year.

While poor performers are getting the nod less frequently and fewer umps are below average, fans are still unhappy.

Kansas City Manager Matt Quatraro argues with home plate umpire Ryan Addition on August 13, 2025, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Experts and analysts say it's because of the umpires' attitudes.

"I'm ready to get rid of the mall cop macho mentality these guys have officiating the game," baseball broadcaster Gary Sheffield Jr. told Blaze News. "Get me an automated system when it's ready so we can get back to baseball."

Sheffield had previously shared sentiments with Blaze News that he thought any "below-average" umpire should be fired, male or female.

Former Division I and pro player Leo Dottavio agreed, telling Blaze News that he's been involved in "countless games that were decided by umpire error."

Adding that it was clear to him in the past that umpires had been influenced by player attitudes or outside sources, Dottavio plainly stated, "It's time for the robo ump."

Now a comedian, Dottavio stressed that he has grown to despise the average umpire as a fan and called average umpires "a bunch of beta males trying to get back at the true ... kings, the guys on the field."

It does seem that no matter what stats the MLB boys in black (or blue) put up, they certainly have an image problem. Fan reactions show this, referring to them either as bullies, or as Dottavio joked, "the meter maids of baseball."

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First female MLB umpire shocks fans with her call on the very first pitch

Jen Pawol, 48, became the first female to umpire a Major League Baseball game when she called the game between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins at Truist Park in Atlanta on Sunday.

Pawol spent about eight years umpiring professional baseball in the minor leagues before becoming the first woman since 2007 to call balls and strikes for a spring training game in February, the third woman in history to do so.

'I think all umpires "below average" at their jobs should be abolished.'

Loud cheers greeted Pawol at the start of the game, and while there exists obvious controversy surrounding a woman umpiring a men's sport, it was only after the first pitch was thrown that the criticism truly began.

Braves pitcher Joey Wentz threw the first pitch of the game well inside to Marlins infielder Xavier Edwards, but Pawol called it a strike anyway. The 93-mph pitch was so off the plate that Fox Sports announcer Brandon Gaudin remarked, "Joey Wentz likes that first call from Jen Pawol."

In reaction to the clip on X, fans provided ruthless commentary about Pawol giving "one of the worst" calls in MLB history, while at the same time "ruining" baseball.

However, it's a long nine innings in an MLB game, and when pitch-tracking stats for Pawol were released following the game, fans got to see exactly how the new umpire fared when compared to her colleagues.

X page BallsAndStrikes was the first source to report on Pawol's performance, showing that she missed 13 calls total: five favoring the Marlins and eight favoring the Braves.

When it came to a complex breakdown provided by Umpire Scorecards, Pawol's overall accuracy was revealed to be 93%, with an overall consistency of 93%. Both numbers are just 1% below the MLB average for umpires.

Pawol's called-ball accuracy was two percentage points below the league average at 95%, while her called-strike accuracy was 87%, one point below the league average.

Fans reacted to the stats on X with remarks "not bad" and "she did fine."

What the data truly reveals about MLB umpires is not that it matters what gender the official is, but rather that fans are not happy with umpiring in the major leagues overall.

Umpire Jen Pawol during a game between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

"I think all umpires 'below average' at their jobs should be abolished," baseball analyst Gary Sheffield Jr. told Blaze News. "I don't care if they're male, female, or flew in from space on a ship."

Sheffield's sentiment is shared by many fans who are calling for MLB to permanently institute an automated ball-strike challenge system that was used during the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

The ABC system was well received and executed during the game, with multiple calls garnering a challenge from players that changed the course of the game.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal — pitching for the American League that night — said that while he did not intend to make use of the system, he was happy when a ball call was overturned following his challenge in the first inning.

“It's coming," Skubal said back in July, per the Athletic. "Whether players like it or not, it's going to come, so might as well get used to it."

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Former Cleveland Indians manager blames 'white' people for wanting to return to old team name

Former Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona had interesting remarks about President Donald Trump's supporters and his former team this week.

Francona is now the manager for the Cincinnati Reds, but he coached the Cleveland Indians between 2013 and 2023, a period that saw the team change its moniker to the Guardians.

The team name was changed after more than 105 years in 2021, when owner Paul Dolan said the team was "doing the right thing" after speaking with Native American groups and that the team was "headed in the right direction."

Now, Francona has opened up about the name change.

'And if you're white, (you're) probably just fine.'

Francona spoke to USA Today before a recent game against the Washington Nationals, and he said he was not courageous enough to go for the name change — it was actually the owner who was responsible.

"I wasn't the one that had to kind of have the (fortitude) to do it. ... Paul Dolan ultimately was the one that had to pull the trigger," Francona recalled. "I was really proud of him, because I don't think it was real popular with a segment of probably the older fans that kind of, I guess like Trump, 'Why can’t it be like it used to be?'" he said.

It was at this point in the interview that Francona revealed he believes white people are more likely to be fine with the Indians' name than others.

"I guess my retort would be, 'There's probably a lot of people in this country who don't want it like it used to be.' And if you're white, (you're) probably just fine," he continued.

While Francona said, "That's not how it's supposed to work," he claimed that he "didn't even care what they made the name in Cleveland."

"I really didn't. I just know how I was in on those conversations, and we were trying to be respectful. And for that, I gave those guys a lot of credit."

But according to a report from WEWS-TV, fans are actually clamoring for the name to come back.

In on-the-ground polling, one reporter had 47 baseball fans say they wanted the "Indians" name to return, while 12 preferred "Guardians."

"It was always a woke choice, and there was no reason for this, and nobody that I ever talked to wanted it," one fan told the outlet.

"It's not racism or anything else. It's just good ol' tribe," a fan named Derek added.

President Trump called for both the Cleveland Guardians and the NFL's Washington Commanders to return to their old names on Sunday, saying, "Times are different now than they were three or four years ago."

Trump even suggested withholding the authorization for the Commanders to get their new D.C.-based stadium if they do not revert back to the Redskins name.

Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told USA Today he was not "paying a lot of attention to" the idea of changing their name back to the Indians, and he said the team is "excited about the future" in terms of building the Guardians brand.

Francona added, "Not everybody's gonna be happy. That’s never gonna be the case."

"But I think as long as what you're trying to do is respectful, you can go ahead and let people complain," the 66-year-old concluded.

Baseball analyst Gary Sheffield Jr. told Blaze News that there are "bigger problems in the world" than the name change argument and that Francona is right to say the team is fine but that "the same could be said when they were the Indians. Folks were just fine."

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Video: 'Worst national anthem' performance ever leaves Baltimore Orioles team and fans conflicted

A rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at a Baltimore Orioles home game is being debated as possibly one of the worst anthem performances of all time.

Before the Orioles hosted the New York Mets at Camden Yards on Thursday, fans were introduced to "Baltimore electronic musician Dan Deacon."

The Baltimore-based recording artist is not an unknown musician. He has over 160,000 monthly listeners on the streaming service Spotify and has had music featured in movies like "Venom."

Nevertheless, Deacon's pregame performance has audiences split over whether what they experienced was new-age art or ear-piercing noise.

'I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom.'

The performance initially caught fire on an Orioles fan's X page, which has now racked up over 1.5 million views.

"I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom," the fan wrote in a caption, with the video of Deacon's version of the song attached.

With oversize glasses and a Hawaiian shirt draped over a Baltimore Orioles T-shirt, Deacon raised his hand to the sky and delivered one of the most divisive — and electronic — anthem performances of all time.

The Orioles mascot was shown standing at attention behind Deacon before the camera panned to the mixed reactions in the crowd. Saluting police officers were juxtaposed with likely former military members saluting from their seats. Other fans, adults and children alike, are seen laughing. Some attendees appeared confused but still sang along with the anthem.

Buck Britton, the Orioles' interim third base coach, looked the most puzzled during the performance, seemingly looking around for answers as to what he was experiencing.

The internet was split; some hated Deacon's digitized anthem, while others loved its uniqueness.

"WTF is this?" one sports page on X wrote. "National anthem singer Dan Deacon labeled a 'disgrace to America' after bizarre rendition at Orioles game."

Another viewer on X wrote, "Worst national anthem in recent memory."

Oppositely, one X user said, "I wanted to hate it, but I didn't."

One of Deacon's fans chimed in on X and added, "It doesn't need to be Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey wannabes every night" singing the anthem.

"At least it's not in Spanish," another viewer wrote on X, tagging the Los Angeles Dodgers team in the post. This was likely in reference to singer Nezza singing the anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium in June, despite being told by Dodgers staff not to.

The artist later cried in a video posted to TikTok, where she expressed that she did not understand why it was so controversial, despite admitting the performance was in response to raids on illegal immigrants in California.

Almost exactly a year ago, singer Ingrid Andress performed at the MLB's Home Run Derby in what was deemed a horrible performance, with the singer later apologizing and admitting she was drunk.

She told fans the next day she was immediately headed to rehab.

"It only took, you know, global humiliation for me to be like, 'This is a problem,'" Andress explained.

Ingrid Andress sings the national anthem prior to the 2024 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field on Monday, July 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Perhaps Deacon was the Orioles' good luck charm, though; the struggling team won both games of their doubleheader that day against the Mets, 3-1 and then 7-3.

For fans in search of national anthem performances similar to Deacon's, look no further than Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. The guitarist delivered an equally, if not more, off-brand electronic performance of the anthem at a Los Angeles Lakers home game in 2016.

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Fan BANNED from stadium after taunting Diamondbacks second baseman to tears

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ recent 4-1 win over the White Sox in Chicago wasn’t all fun and games, after second baseman Ketel Marte appeared to break down in tears at second base after a fan reportedly heckled him about his late mother.

The heckling took place during Marte’s at-bat in the seventh inning, before he was then consoled by manager Torey Lovullo and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo.

The spectator is alleged to have made a derogatory remark about Marte’s mother, who passed away after a car accident in 2017.

After the incident, Lovullo and Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister asked security to remove the fan from the stadium, and security complied. Now, the White Sox organization has banned the fan from the ballpark.

While BlazeTV host Pat Gray, who has lost both his parents, is sympathetic to the passing of Marte's mother, he and his panel don’t believe there’s a place in baseball for tears over the past.

“So a 31-year-old male, playing in Major League Baseball, who signed a $119 million contract begins crying over something a fan yelled at him,” Jeffy says, before playing the “There’s no crying in baseball” clip from the classic film “A League of Their Own.”

“I lost my mom eight years ago as well. Same year as he did. In fact, I became an orphan at that particular time point. My dad died in 1997, my mom in 2017. I was an orphan,” Gray comments, adding, “We all miss our moms.”

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MLB star reclaims the rainbow — then shatters a core leftist lie

It took only one Bible passage to expose the myth of leftist "tolerance."

On June 13, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted their annual "Pride Night," a celebration of LGBTQ ideology and activism. As part of the special night, Dodgers players wore special-edition team caps featuring the Dodgers logo overlaid with rainbow colors.

Christians believe that Jesus is Lord of all creation — including over culture, identity, and sexuality.

Enter Clayton Kershaw, the teams's 10-time All-Star pitcher and committed Christian. He decided to add his own special touch to his cap. Inscribed next to the rainbow-colored team logo, Kershaw wrote: Gen. 9:12-16.

It was a subtle yet powerful reminder that the LGBTQ lobby does not own the rainbow — but God does.

Bible basics

The passage that Kershaw referenced on his cap points to one of the most famous stories in the Bible.

After God destroyed the earth with the flood, God made a covenant with his servant Noah and all creation in which he promised never again to destroy creation with the chaos waters. The sign of that covenant, God explained, is the rainbow.

Genesis 9:12–16:

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations: I have placed my bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all the living creatures: water will never again become a flood to destroy every creature. The bow will be in the clouds, and I will look at it and remember the permanent covenant between God and all the living creatures on earth.”

The Hebrew word for "bow" in Genesis 9 is the same Hebrew word that means a bow used in war and hunting. Interestingly, nearly every usage of the word in the Old Testament refers to the weapon, the only exceptions being in Genesis 9 and Ezekiel 1:28.

The meaning of the rainbow is significant: It's a sign of God's power, his promises, and his mercy — not personal pride in sin and anti-God ideologies.

Leftist (in)tolerance

Like clockwork, leftists (ironically) unable to coexist with people who disagree with them blasted Kershaw. One viral X post summed up their outrage.

"Clayton Kershaw will always be a Dodger great, but it’s things like this that make him a lot less likable. Just wear the hat. Be a tolerant Christian and accept that there are others who believe differently than you," the post reads.

The message behind the post is obvious: Submit. Shut up. Keep your Christianity to yourself.

This is the kind of "tolerance" leftists demand. It no longer means disagreeing respectfully or giving people space to live by their own reasonable convictions. In the leftist worldview, "tolerance" is a one-way street — and there's no room for any views but theirs.

Ironically, the demand for "tolerance" pretends that a double standard doesn't exist. While leftists want Christians to be tolerant of the LGBTQ agenda, they're simultaneously demonstrating intolerance for Christianity. Leftist "tolerance" is a core lie of the liberal agenda, and it's how you know the demand for "tolerance" from everyone else is not genuine.

Truth untamed

To modern leftists, "tolerance" is silence, compliance, affirmation, and total surrender — or else. The problem is that Christianity doesn't operate on these terms.

Faith in Jesus is not a hobby. It's an all-encompassing truth claim that changes literally everything. Christians believe that Jesus is Lord of all creation — including over culture, identity, and sexuality.

To be "tolerant" in the way that leftists demand — such as embracing, promoting, and affirming anti-God ideologies — would require Christians to reject the lordship of Jesus Christ. This "tolerance" guts Christianity of its moral clarity and truth claims, and it reduces Jesus to a private guru who never makes demands of us. And the "tolerant" Jesus that leftists imagine certainly never contradicts LGBTQ ideology.

But the real Jesus doesn't bend to the leftist agenda. Real Christianity bears witness to truth, speaks with conviction, and refuses to be muzzled. When God's truth is weaponized and his symbols are co-opted for anti-God ideologies, Christians must stand up and speak out with conviction, wisdom, and clarity.

That's exactly what Kershaw did. Leftists hate this because biblical truth spoken by bold Christians is both a light that illuminates leftist lies and a disinfectant that wipes them away.

Reclaim the rainbow

In this cultural moment, Christians live under constant pressure to compromise. Leftists love Christians who stay quiet, keep their heads down, and privatize their faith, but despise Christians who dare challenge the leftist agenda and stand up for biblical truth.

But Kershaw didn't back down. His simple protest reclaimed the true meaning of the rainbow, exposed the leftist double standard on "tolerance," and reminded Christians how to act courageously in a culture that looks down on biblical truth.

Let us follow Kershaw's lead.

Reclaim the rainbow. Boldly stand on God's truth. And never cower to leftist demands for "tolerance."

DHS, LA Dodgers give conflicting stories about ICE agents at Dodger Stadium

It has been a whirlwind week for the Los Angeles Dodgers, culminating in a battle of words with federal authorities.

Last Friday, Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw protested the team's Pride Night by writing a Bible verse on the front of his hat. On Saturday, a singer named Nezza purposely defied the organization's requests and sang the national anthem in Spanish.

As a consortium of fans have urged the Dodgers to take a stand and support illegal immigrants living in their city, the team seemingly extended an olive branch to those supporters on Thursday.

'This had nothing to do with the Dodgers.'

The Dodgers were rumored to be planning an announcement on Thursday, finally revealing their support for illegal immigrants and anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests. At least one reporter told Blaze News the reporter was expecting an announcement on that general topic.

Protesters announced they were ready for mass mobilization in defiance of ICE agents just after 10 a.m. At about 11:30 a.m., DHS agents were spotted near Gate E of Dodger Stadium.

Just after 12 p.m. local time, the Dodgers posted on X, claiming they had denied ICE agents access to their parking lots.

"This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots," the team wrote. "They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization. Tonight’s game will be played as scheduled."

However, the DHS said ICE agents were never even there.

— (@)

Less than an hour after the team's post, the DHS sent Blaze News a statement from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, stating the presence of her department had "nothing to do with the Dodgers."

"CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement," McLaughlin said, mirroring a post the agency put out on social media.

Just after 1:39 p.m., ICE denied even being at the location. "False. We were never there," the agency said in response to the Dodgers' claim.

Not a peep was heard from either side after this. Representatives from the Dodgers did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

When pressed for more details, DHS representatives simply linked to their previously mentioned social media posts. The MLB Players Association did not respond to Blaze News' requests for comment either.

— (@)

The Dodgers' response is unlikely to please either side, but pressure continues to mount from illegal immigration supporters.

As Fox 11 LA reported, at least one nonprofit said it will encourage Latinos to avoid Dodgers games.

"We're going to hit them in their pockets. And so that's why we're asking the Latino and our allies in L.A. not to go to any more Dodger games until the Dodgers invest in our community and our Latino community, immediately, that they take a stand and say something on behalf of the Dodger fans everywhere, for L.A. Latinos," Raul Claros told Fox 11, representing Latino Coalition L.A.

Los Angeles' professional soccer team, LAFC, also gave a statement, joining in on the trend of conflating legal and illegal immigration.

"LAFC believes the true strength of our community, our city, is feeling fear and uncertainty. LAFC stands shoulder to shoulder with all members of our community," the team said, per Fox 11.

Even Dodgers player Kike Hernandez posted a message about the issue on his Instagram page.

Standing in front a sign that said, "Born & Raised," Hernandez wrote, "I may not be Born & Raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own."

"I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights," Hernandez added.

Strangely, the team has previously embraced the DHS, hosting Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to throw out a first pitch in 2015.

It does seem that the team's activism is a nonstop roller coaster. Later on Thursday evening, the team hosted a race-based celebrity softball game.

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Can you sue your favorite team for being bad? Lawsuit from Colorado Rockies fan is testing the waters

The Colorado Rockies are the worst team in the major leagues — and one fan says that is criminal.

The Rockies, their abysmal record, and their flawed stadium design are to blame for a fan's 2023 injury, a new lawsuit claims.

'Defendant knew or should have known that the condition of the Stadium, as described above, was dangerous.'

The Rockies win-loss record sits at a jaw-dropping 9-45 as of Tuesday afternoon — a .167 winning percentage. In comparison, no other team is below the .300 mark, setting the stage for a possible record-setting season for the Rockies in the worst way possible.

This caliber of play is at the center of plaintiff Timothy Roeckel's lawsuit against the franchise in which he alleges that the team's lack of competitiveness has made socializing and business the "primary focus" for many fans as opposed to the actual action on the field.

This played a factor, according to the lawsuit, in Roeckel getting hit in the right eye and face by a foul ball in the Rockies' home ballpark — Coors Field — during a game against the New York Yankees two years ago.

A fan is assisted by medical personnel after being hit by a foul ball in the eighth inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies on Opening Day at Coors Field on April 10, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

While the complaint notes the Rockies' 2023 record of 59-103 and their present failures in 2025, Roeckel's lawsuit alleges that stadium design flaws also played a role in his incident.

Roeckel sat in the club boxes that day, in a spot where he said it was "not physically possible" to see the foul ball before it hit him.

The lawsuit also points to other alleged failures in the stadium's infrastructure, such as "failing to extend or enhance netting based on data about foul ball trajectories" and "designing open luxury boxes that obstruct view of the playing field."

"[The] Defendant knew or should have known that the condition of the Stadium, as described above, was dangerous," the lawsuit read.

But some of the suit's claims may have fans scratching their heads regarding whether or not to support Roeckel in his pursuit to have a trial by jury; the lawsuit complains of mounted televisions that "distract" fans from the action and alleges that "non-spectating behavior" such as eating and socializing in luxury boxes is encouraged.

"This cultural shift is not incidental but rather encouraged by Defendant's own marketing and design choices, which emphasize hospitality and off-field amenities over fan vigilance," the lawsuit went on.

OutKick reporter Alejandro Avila told Blaze News that the lawsuit is "ludicrous" but added that it could set a precedent for "bizarre complaints" in the future.

"If this becomes par for the course, then Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox fans should get litigation going," Avila joked with Blaze News.

The Rockies on Tuesday did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment regarding the lawsuit.

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Pete Rose still might never get inducted into the Hall of Fame. Here's why.

There may be hurdles in front of Pete Rose's possible induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, even though Major League Baseball recently reinstated the legendary player.

Rose had been banned from baseball — and Hall of Fame eligibility — because he gambled on MLB games, but commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. declared earlier this week that permanent ineligibility "ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual."

'They take violations very seriously. Joe Jackson fixed games. OK? Pete Rose bet on games as a manager of one team. That doesn't go away.'

The decision affected 17 individuals — all of them players except for William Cox, a former owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, who was banned for betting on his team's games.

The most famous examples among the 17 are "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, who died in 1951, and Rose, who died in 2024. Jackson was banned due to his part in the infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919, while Rose was shut out in 1989.

While much of the commotion has surrounded the possibly of Rose being enshrined into the Hall of Fame after decades, it would not exactly be a walk in the park to get the former Cincinnati Red and Phillies phenom on a plaque.

The problems start to emerge when factoring in that Rose's eligibility period originally was from 1992 to 2006, according to the Associated Press.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been accused of blocking Pete Rose's eligibility.Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Fortune Media

Rose garnered 41 write-in votes in 1992 and was written in on 243 more ballots over the next 15 years, but those votes did not count.

What's more, now that the ban has been lifted, both Rose and Jackson are eligible only for the Hall of Fame's Classic Baseball Era — and that requires a rigorous process prior to enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Jane Forbes Clark, who chairs the Hall of Fame board, told ESPN the first step will be a 10-person Historical Overview Committee that selects eight ballot candidates to present to the Classic Baseball Era Committee.

Who is on the committees?

While the identities of current members of the Historical Overview Committee are not known, they are assumed to be veteran members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Longtime sports broadcaster Tony Kornheiser knows how that goes.

"The baseball writers who are members put you in the Hall of Fame. Those baseball writers, as we know well, are guardians of the game," Kornheiser said on his show, "Pardon the Interruption."

Kornheiser added, "They take violations very seriously. Joe Jackson fixed games. OK? Pete Rose bet on games as a manager of one team. That doesn't go away."

'Shoeless' Joe JacksonPhoto by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images

If Rose and Jackson pass muster with the Historical Overview Committee, their names would be sent to the Classic Baseball Era Committee to vote at its next meeting.

Members of the Classic Baseball Era Committee presently include Hall of Fame players — icons such as Paul Molitor and Ozzie Smith, per ESPN. Jackson and Rose would need 12 votes from the 16-person Classic Baseball Era Committee to get into the Hall of Fame.

Another hurdle is the fact that it would take years for this process to play out. The Classic Baseball Era Committee, according to Clark, does not meet until December 2027. At that point, an entirely new committee could be in place — and who knows how they would view Rose and Jackson.

'It essentially comes down to whether the committees think gambling is worse than using human-growth hormones or steroids.'

Given that the MLB writers have excluded from the Hall of Fame some of the most successful players of all time — Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Alex Rodriguez, for example — potential inductions of players like Jackson and Rose may come down to where committee members draw their ethical lines.

"It essentially comes down to whether the committees think gambling is worse than using human-growth hormones or steroids," said Dave Shrigley, a writer and editor for Rebel News.

Shrigley told Blaze News, "Steroids weren't exactly banned by the league, so not only is there an ethical question, but there's also the question as to what is actually a ban-worthy offense."

Commissioner Manfred slightly touched on this topic in 2020 when he said Rose "violated what is sort of Rule One in baseball," adding that the MLB would continue "to abide by [its] own rules."

Some have criticized Manfred in the past for stonewalling Rose's possible induction, including in 2015 when he denied Rose's application for reinstatement.

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Are MLB umpires getting worse? Fans say yes, but the stats might disagree

First female MLB umpire shocks fans with her call on the very first pitch

Former Cleveland Indians manager blames 'white' people for wanting to return to old team name

Video: 'Worst national anthem' performance ever leaves Baltimore Orioles team and fans conflicted

Want more from Pat Gray?

MLB star reclaims the rainbow — then shatters a core leftist lie

Bible basics

Leftist (in)tolerance

Truth untamed

Reclaim the rainbow

DHS, LA Dodgers give conflicting stories about ICE agents at Dodger Stadium

Can you sue your favorite team for being bad? Lawsuit from Colorado Rockies fan is testing the waters

Pete Rose still might never get inducted into the Hall of Fame. Here's why.

Who is on the committees?

The Ungrateful Dead: Pete Rose, ‘Shoeless’ Joe Dying To Get Back Into Baseball

Top Dem Donors Are Giving Biden the Cold Shoulder on His Presidential Library: Report

Glenn Beck launches fundraiser for Charlie Kirk's family under 9-12 Project

BEASTMODE: Tom Cotton Eviscerates Al Jazeera Reporter Roaming Senate Halls: 'What Do You Say About Working for a Terrorist Sympathizing Network?'

'Triumph of the Heart': An unflinching depiction of what it means to follow Christ

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Bible basics

Leftist (in)tolerance

Truth untamed

Reclaim the rainbow

Who is on the committees?

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