MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made the bombshell decision Tuesday to remove such players as Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and others from the permanent ineligible list, leading to a pathway for them to get into the Hall of Fame. There has been much debate about MLB and Manfred's decision that impacts the legacy of Rose, as there is one critic of the news being Marcus Giamatti.

He's the son of former baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti, who was the one responsible for permanently suspending Rose in 1989 for reasons dealing with gambling. Subsequently, his son would go as far as to say that it is a “dark day for baseball,” according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

“It’s a serious dark day for baseball,” Giamatti said. “For my dad, it was all about defending the integrity of baseball, now, without integrity, I believe the game of baseball, as we know it, will cease to exist. How, without integrity, will the fans ever entrust the purity of the game.”

The decision to remove Pete Rose from the ineligible list causes a stir

An emotional Cincinnati Reds hall of famer Pete Rose adjusts his cap as he takes the microphone during a pregame ceremony for the unveiling of Pete Rose's bronze statue being installed outside the stadium before the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, June 17, 2017.
© Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Consequently, speaking about Manfred's decision to remove Rose and other players from the ineligible list, including members of the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal team, there has been a ton of debate on the issue. Besides Giamatti's stance, some believe it was long overdue in removing Rose from the aforementioned list and making him eligible for the Hall of Fame, especially since he is the all-time leader in hits.

However, Giamatti makes the case that the decision made by Manfred, in some ways, falters with the “integrity” of the game in regards to gambling.

“The basic principle that the game is built on, fair play, and that integrity is going to be compromised. And the fans are losers,” Giamatti said. “I don’t know how a fan could go and watch a game knowing that what they’re seeing may not be real and fair anymore, that’s a really scary thought.”

While Rose, Jackson, and others are off the list, it doesn't 100 percent guarantee their induction to the Hall of Fame, as members will still have to vote.