MLB considering petition to re-instate Pete Rose

The all-time hit king had been banned from baseball ever since it was discovered that he bet on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds - a punishment handed down by then-commissioner Fay Vincent.

The timing of the announcement - which came Saturday night - is particularly notable, as it follows remarks made by the President just one day earlier, in which he stated he would grant Rose a full pardon. While Rose served a five-month federal sentence for filing false income tax returns, a presidential pardon would have no direct bearing on his eligibility within Major League Baseball.

In December, Fawn Rose - Pete Rose's eldest daughter - along with attorney Jeffrey Lenkov, who represented Rose prior to his death, privately met with Commissioner Manfred to discuss Rose's potential reinstatement. Rose passed away in September.

Lenkov told ESPN the meeting was cordial.

This is not the first time Rose or his representatives have petitioned for reinstatement, though this particular effort appears to have gained the most traction.

Rose himself personally appealed to MLB and the Commissioner's office multiple times prior to his passing. His lifetime ban - which he agreed to in 1989 - also rendered him ineligible for the Hall of Fame.

While reinstatement would not automatically grant Rose eligibility for Cooperstown, it could open the door for the Hall of Fame to reconsider its stance on his candidacy.

Just weeks before his passing, Rose admitted he was still hoping for forgiveness.

It might finally be time.