Pete Rose accepted a permanent spot on Major League Baseball's ineligible list following a comprehensive investigation by special investigator John M. Dowd. The probe concluded that Rose bet extensively on baseball games, including wagering on his own team to win while serving as the player-manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Under Major League Rule 21, betting on any game in which a participant has a duty to perform carries an automatic lifetime ban, leading to his historic punishment and prolonged exclusion from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.