Hall of Fame eligible | Sports Daily Newsletter

Less than a year after his death, Pete Rose was reinstated by Major League Baseball on Tuesday. So was Shoeless Joe Jackson. The moves make both eligible for the Hall of Fame after their careers were stained by sports gambling scandals.

Commissioner Rob Manfred changed MLB’s policy, saying bans would expire after death. Several others will also have their statuses changed by the ruling, including former Phillies president William D. Cox, former New York Giants outfielder Benny Kauff, and all members of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox.

Under the new rules, the earliest Rose, who played five seasons with the Phillies and was on the 1980 World Series team, could be inducted would be in 2028. But just because Manfred’s landmark decision enables him and other players to be considered for Cooperstown doesn’t mean the Hit King will get the votes for induction.

The Phillies wrote in a statement that they “support” Manfred’s decision to reinstate Rose, “one of the greatest players in the history of the game.” Mike Schmidt also called it “a great day for baseball.” But others were not so pleased, considering Rose faced statutory rape allegations which led to the cancellation of his Phillies Wall of Fame ceremony.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, [email protected].

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Since the outset of the 2018 season, Aaron Nola hasn’t missed a start due to injury. Nola pitching every fifth day is about as close to a baseball guarantee as it gets. In that time, he leads all major league pitchers with 216 starts, 1,310⅔ innings, 20,758 pitches, and 13,879 strikes, and is approaching 10 years of major league service time with the same team. The Inquirer sat down with Nola to discuss how he does it, and what his impending milestone means to him.

The Phillies game against the St. Louis Cardinals got rained out Tuesday. The makeup game is today and part of a split-admission doubleheader. The originally scheduled game will remain at 1:05 p.m., while the makeup game will start at 6:15 p.m.

The NFL schedule is set to be released tonight at 8. So far, four of the Eagles’ 17 games have been announced after ABC revealed the team’s Nov. 10 game at Green Bay, which will be played on Monday Night Football.

We also learned that they’ll host the Cowboys in Week 1 on Sept. 4 and the Bears on Black Friday as well as travel to the Commanders in Week 16 on Dec. 20. The NFL will hold a record seven international games in 2025, with the Vikings playing in two games, one in Dublin — the first NFL game played in Ireland — then a week later in London.

But let’s talk about this Week 1 matchup. We can already anticipate a rowdy crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, as the Birds will unveil their Super Bowl championship banner. It might just be the best opponent to open against.

The Sixers secured the third pick in Monday’s draft lottery. Assuming Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper are off the board, Ace Bailey, the 18-year-old out of Rutgers, would be the next best option, Keith Pompey writes. Bailey was the No. 2-ranked player in the Class of 2024 behind Flagg. He could start at forward opposite Paul George. But if the Sixers take him, they need to focus on making him a real contributor.

And in case you missed Monday’s festivities, The Inquirer was one of 14 media outlets inside the NBA draft lottery room. Here’s a glimpse at how the night unfolded.

Meanwhile, the Sixers promoted Philly legend Jameer Nelson to assistant general manager on Tuesday. The Chester native and former St. Joseph’s star point guard had been the general manager of the G League-affiliate Delaware Blue Coats since 2023. He also was regularly involved with the Sixers’ front office.

The Flyers’ needs this summer, at least from a player personnel perspective, are obvious: finding help down the middle and in goal. The issue is that this year’s unrestricted free agent pool is rather thin at both positions. In other words, Danny Brière and Co. will need to be creative to add talent, which opens up the possibility of an offer sheet.

Brière admitted last month that the offer sheet avenue “is a tool that we are going to look into.”

In that vein, here are 10 restricted free agents the Flyers could target with offer sheets and a look at what each would cost both financially and in terms of draft compensation.

Which Hall of Famer was drafted in the second round by the Sixers?

D) Maurice Cheeks. Khary A. was first with the correct answer.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Gustav Elvin, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jeff Neiburg, Rob Tornoe, Lochlahn March, Ronald Blum, and Gabriela Carroll.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading. Stay dry, Philly, and have a great Wednesday. Kerith will be on the controls tomorrow. — Bella