MLB has a long list of players and coaches who are banned from the league for life.
While many of the individuals on the list deserve to be banned, others arguably do not.
It’s a hotly-contested debate that often gets baseball fans riled up.
Today, we are going to rank the three greatest baseball players of all time who are banned for life.
There is a ton of talent on this list.
Who made it and who didn’t?
3. Eddie Cicotte
Eddie Cicotte was banned for life due to the well-documented Chicago Black Sox scandal.
Ticket to Game 1 of the 1919 World Series, in which White Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte hit the first batter Maurice Rath to signify that “the fix was in” sold last night at @GoldinAuctions for $10,455. pic.twitter.com/qJmvPPxHxG
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 7, 2021
It’s a shame that Cicotte allegedly sold his soul, because he was an outstanding player.
Cicotte pitched to a career 2.38 ERA, 2.54 FIP, and 1.15 WHIP.
He won an ERA title in 1917 with a 1.53 mark, and he just missed out on a second ERA title in 1919 when he posted a 1.82 mark.
He won 28 games and 29 games in 1917 and 1919, respectively, which is a ridiculous achievement even though we know today that wins are a poor representation of a pitcher’s performance.
Ciotte was undoubtedly one of the most dominant pitchers of his era.
His career ended in 1920.
2. Joe Jackson
“Shoeless” Joe Jackson was also banned for life due to his involvement in the aforementioned Black Sox scandal.
Jackson’s involvement in the scandal is still disputed to this day, but regardless, the hammer came down on him.
Jackson had a phenomenal MLB career.
It lasted 13 seasons, and he was a career .356 hitter.
He finished his 1911 campaign with a ridiculous .408 batting average.
He’s one of the few players in baseball history to bat .400 in a year.
Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that he almost did it again the following season, as he batted .395 in 1912.
Jackson never won an MVP award but finished in the top 10 of the race on four different occasions.
He finished his career with a .940 OPS and averaged a WAR of 7.6 per 162 games.
There is no dispute that Jackson would be in the Hall of Fame today if not for the obvious other factors at play.
Like Ciotte, Jackson’s career ended in 1920.
1. Pete Rose
It should come as no surprise to anyone that Pete Rose comes in at the top spot on the list.
Rose is banned for life due to the gambling scandal that sank his reputation in the eyes of many.
He remains outside of the Hall of Fame despite having one of the best careers in baseball history.
Rose was a 17-time All-Star who won three batting titles.
He led the league in total hits seven different times.
He is the all-time MLB leader in hits, games played, at-bats, and plate appearances.
Rose played for 24 years and finished with a batting average of .300 or better in 15 of them.
He was named to 17 All-Star teams and won three World Series titles.
Rose is often regarded as the best pure hitter in the history of the game, and it’s hard to dispute that claim.
His playing career ended in 1986, and his coaching career ended in 1989.
I have three pieces of advice. Play hard, play harder, and never be satisfied. -Pete Rose pic.twitter.com/a5jQK87WgJ
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) July 7, 2021
Many fans wonder if Rose’s ban will ever be lifted.
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