The Phillies invited Pete Rose to be a part of August’s Alumni Weekend, first revealed by Larry Bowa on the Saturday broadcast:

This is the first time Pete will step on the field in Philadelphia since he was banned from baseball in 1989. The Phillies released a statement noting that they consulted with Rose’s teammates and asked for permission from the Commissioner’s Office before extending the invitation:

You might remember Rose was due to be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2017 until allegations arose he had a sexual relationship with 14 and 15 year old girls in the 70s. The suit was dismissed in December of that year. The Philles made it clear this isn’t a celebration of one player, but the whole team.

It’ll be interesting to see the type of reaction Pete gets when they introduce him. I wonder if Phillies brass uses the reaction as a barometer to determine if they can induct him into the Wall of Fame sometime in the future.