It promises to be a festive atmosphere at the Great American Ball Park on Wednesday when the Reds stage Pete Rose Night in Cincinnati. The previously planned event now becomes of celebration after Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that the all-time hits king is eligible for consideration for the Hall of Fame.

“This will be a special night at the ballpark to honor the life and career of the legendary ‘Hit King’ in front of his hometown fans,” reads the flyer announcing a night that promises to be memorable. “Don’t miss out on what should be an unforgettable tribute to Pete Rose!”

Reds fans can truly celebrate the legacy of one of baseball’s greatest players, even though it took the death of Pete Rose to finally become eligible for the Hall of Fame. In a stunning revision of policy, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that those deceased on the ineligible list can be removed and become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.

The announcement comes after the Rose family requested a decision on his reinstatement be made before Wednesday night’s game in Cincinnati. The Reds play the Chicago White Sox on Pete Rose Night at a special local start time of 7:14 to honor No. 14.

“It’s crazy he’s finally off the banned list and he can get on the ballot now, which is crazy to say because I thought I’d never hear it,” his grandson Pete Rose III told FOX 19. “Our family is grateful.”

Mr. Rose, who died on Sept. 30, 2024, in Las Vegas at the age of 83, was banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on baseball.  A World Series champion with the Reds and Philadelphia Phillies, Mr. Rose earned the nickname “Charlie Hustle” by compiling a record 4,256 hits. But after a 24-year big league career, he was banned from baseball after an investigation revealed he was betting on Reds games while managing the team. Mr. Rose initially denied betting on baseball before admitting it 15 years in a book.

The rule banning betting on baseball, also known as Rule 21, is intended for those who “pose a risk to the integrity of the sport,” Mr. Manfred said in making his revision. “In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served.”

Mr. Rose is among a group of deceased individuals now eligible for the Hall, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, a key player in the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal. It will take at least three years for any of them to be inducted. The Historical Overview Committee will develop a ballot of eight names for the Classic Baseball Era Committee to evaluate.  The Committee will vote on selection when it meets next in December 2027. If elected, Mr. Rose would be inducted in July 2028.

The committee consists of 16 members of the Hall, executives, and veteran media members. A candidate needs 12 of 16 votes for election

Social media erupted the instant the announcement was made. Many said the lifting of the ban was long overdue, while others were adamant that Mr. Rose should remain ineligible for the Hall of Fame. Mike Schmidt, a Hall of Fame third baseman who won a World Series with Mr. Rose in Philadelphia, applauded the decision.

“It’s a great day for baseball as Commissioner Manfred has reinstated Pete Rose, making him eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame,” Mr. Schmidt said in a statement posted by Bob Nightengale. “The ongoing question of whether Pete Rose should or shouldn’t be in the Hall will be answered by a select panel in the next Classic Baseball Era Committee.  Congratulations to Pete’s family, his teammates, as well as his supporters who have waited many years for this opportunity for consideration.”

While alive, Mr. Rose previously filed for reinstatement in 2015, 2002, and 1997 without success. Following Mr. Rose’s death, Mr. Manfred met with the Rose’s daughter, Fawn, and lawyer Jeffrey Lenkov in December, and a formal petition to remove Mr. Rose from the ineligible list was submitted on January 8.  The Sun reported in March that several Hall of Fame voters were mixed about Mr. Rose’s reinstatement.

President Trump also got involved discussing Mr. Rose during a White House meeting on April 16, after posting upon his death that “He paid the price! Major League Baseball should have allowed him into the Hall of Fame many years ago. Do it now, before the funeral!!DJT.”

The Phillies issued a statement of support, calling Mr. Rose “one of the greatest players in the history of the game.”

Long-time sports journalist Bob Hertzel, who covered Mr. Rose for 10 years, posted “It’s just too bad he can’t feel what I am feeling about it as it comes too late. But his family and kids know how much this means.”

Others who are now eligible posthumously include all banned members of the Chicago Black Sox scandal for throwing the 1919 World Series; New York Giants outfielder Benny Kauff suspended in 1921 for stealing a car, Phillies infielder Gene Paulette in 1921 for accepting a gambling-stained loan, and Phillies president William D. Cox in 1943 for betting the Phillies to win.