Because he is banned from baseball, Rose is ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Rose, who finished his career with 4,256 hits, applied for reinstatement this year for the third time and met with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in September.
In a letter sent to Rose, 74, and made public Monday, Manfred cited Rose’s continued gambling — on several sports, including baseball — and evidence that he bet on baseball as reasons to deny the reinstatement application.
Manfred said allowing Rose back into baseball “presents an unacceptable risk of future violation by him … and thus the credibility of our sport.”
Manfred said Rose would still be allowed to participate in ceremonial activities “that present no threat to the integrity of the game.” Rose was a part of All-Star Game festivities this summer in Cincinnati.
Said Reds President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Castellini, “The Commissioner called me this morning prior to the announcement. We respect his decision on the matter of Pete Rose and are grateful for his diligence and the amount of time he spent on the matter.
“We also appreciate that the Commissioner stated that Hall of Fame consideration is a separate issue and we and the fans think he deserves that opportunity. We are pleased that we have had and will continue to have opportunities to commemorate Pete’s remarkable on-field accomplishments. Any future plans to celebrate Pete’s career with the Reds first will be discussed with the Commissioner and then will be communicated publicly at the appropriate time.”