Who Is Banned From Baseball?
Contents
Who is banned from baseball? We take a look at some of the most famous cases of players being banned from the sport for various reasons.
PED Suspensions
In recent years, there have been a number of players who have been suspended from baseball for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Some of the most notable suspensions have been handed down to Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, and Nelson Cruz.
Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez, nicknamed “A-Rod”, is a former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), exclusively for the New York Yankees. He played for the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers before signing with the Yankees in 2004. He was suspended for the entire 2014 season due to his involvement in the Biogenesis baseball scandal, and was released by the Yankees following the end of his suspension.
Ryan Braun
On July 22, 2013, Braun was suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season and playoffs, a total of 65 games, for violating the league’s drug policy.
Other Notable Suspensions
In addition to the three players mentioned above, there have been other notable suspensions from baseball. In 2015, Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman was suspended for 30 games after an domestic violence incident. In 2016, then-Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Keon Broxton was banned for two games after he made an obscene gesture towards fans.
Pete Rose
On August 24, 1989, Rose was permanently banned from baseball by Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for betting on baseball games while he was a player and manager of the Cincinnati Reds. In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban those on the “permanently ineligible” list from entry. After years of denials, Rose confessed in 2004 that he had bet on baseball games during his playing career.
Chris Correa
Chris Correa, the former Cardinals scouting director, was banned from baseball for life on Monday after an investigation found he had hacked into the Astros’ computer database and tried to gain access to information on Houston’s players.
Correa pleaded guilty to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer in January and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $279,038.65 in restitution.
TheCardinals fired Correa in July 2015 after he was linked to the hacking scandal.
Steve Howe
Steve Howe, relief pitcher, was banned seven times between 1980 and 1992 for drug abuse. He appealed his most recent suspension in 1992 and won, but his career was effectively over. In 2006, he was arrested for cocaine possession and attempting to buy illegal drugs.
Lifetime Bans
In baseball, a lifetime ban is given to any player, manager, coach, or other person who has been permanently banned from Major League Baseball (MLB) for violating the sport’s rules. A person who is banned from MLB is also banned from any minor league baseball, meaning they can no longer play, coach, or manage any professional baseball team.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson is one of the most prolific hitters in baseball history. He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1908-1915, and was a part of the infamous “Black Sox” team that threw the 1919 World Series. Jackson was banned from baseball for life in 1921, accused of taking money from gamblers to throw the series. He maintained his innocence until his death in 1951, and many believe he was wrongfully banned.
Pete Rose
Pete Rose, nicknamed “Charlie Hustle”, is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, and managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 to 1989.
Rose was a switch hitter and is the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256). He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Glove Awards, the Rookie of the Year Award, and also made 17 All-Star appearances at an unparalleled five different positions. Rose led the Major Leagues in hits seven times.
While managing the Reds, he won two World Series titles even though he was not allowed to participate in either of the actual World Series due to his lifetime ban. Pete Rose was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Phillies Nation.
Rose agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball in August 1989 after an investigation by Major League Baseball (MLB) found him guilty of betting on baseball games while he was both a player and a manager for the Cincinnati Reds. Since then, ever since his lifetime banishment from professional baseball effective August 24th, 1989 by Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti’s ruling on his individual case – no other player has ever been permanently banned from MLB as Pete Rose still remains ineligible for enshrinement into Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame due to his ongoing lifetime ban.
Conclusion
There are currently two types of bans in Major League Baseball: the lifetime ban and the indefinite suspension. The latter can be appealed after one year, while the former is permanent.
The most famous case of a lifetime ban is that of Pete Rose, who was banned in 1989 for betting on baseball games while he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Rose has never been reinstated and is not eligible for the Hall of Fame.
Other players have been given lifetime bans for various offenses, including steroids, gambling, and fixiing games. Some have been banned for off-field behavior, such as violence or drug use.
Indefinite suspensions are generally reserved for players who violate the league’s drug policies or commit other serious offenses. Alex Rodriguez, for example, was suspended for the 2014 season after he was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs.
Players who are banned from baseball are not allowed to play in any Major League games, participate in any activities related to Major League Baseball, or even enter Major League ballparks.
