Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday that the crime of betting on baseball is worse than using steroids, while appearing on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

Those statements do not seem to help the case of Pete Rose, who has applied for reinstatement from Major League Baseball’s permanently ineligible list for betting on baseball.

Manfred was unavailable for comment when The Enquirer contacted Major League Baseball on Friday afternoon.

“I think it’s a question of notice and rules,” Manfred said during the CNBC interview. “The most fundamental rule in baseball – it has been there forever – it is Rule 21. It prohibits anybody who is on the field from betting on baseball or betting on any sport. And in fact, the rule is clear that if you bet on baseball, you will be banished for life.”

When asked point blank by CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin if Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, Manfred said he couldn’t answer that question.

“What I can tell you about Pete Rose is he’s applied for reinstatement,” Manfred said. “He has the right to do that. I am going to take a full and fresh look.”

Sorkin then interrupted Manfred and asked what has changed in Rose’s case that would help the all-time hits leader.

“Look, the passage of time, if nothing else, changes, I think the situation somewhat,” Manfred said. “And, you know, Mr. Rose has suggested to me he has things he wants me to understand about the situation. I’ll give him a full opportunity to let me know those things.”

Manfred said there is no timetable for his decision on Rose.

“We’re talking to Mr. Rose’s representatives about what the process will look like,” Manfred said. “There’s a huge factual record here. I’ve been around baseball for a long time, I was not involved in that particular incident. I need to make sure I understand all those facts. And I do need to give Mr. Rose a chance to come in and do whatever he wants to do.”

Manfred did, however, make clear that he regards the ban on gambling to be of more importance than the rules against steroids.

“I think the gambling rule is so fundamental to the integrity of the game that it should always stay where it is,” Manfred said.

As for the difference between steroids and gambling, Manfred said the rules against steroids should be less and there is a difference in that the punishment for steroids has been collectively bargained with the players association.

The ray of hope for Rose may be that he continues to stress the distinction between being on baseball’s permanently ineligible list and eligibility for the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame currently does not allow those on the permanently ineligible list to be eligible for election. That rule was passed by the Hall of Fame’s board of directors in February of 1991, before Rose was eligible to appear on the ballot.

“In my view, on one hand, my job is to protect the integrity of the game on the field,” Manfred said. “If you’re on the permanently ineligible list, you can’t work in the game. Whether or not you’re eligible for the Hall of Fame is a product of the Hall of Fame’s decision to follow our ineligibility list.”

Manfred acknowledged Rose could still be banned from the game, but become eligible for the Hall of Fame if the Hall of Fame were to change its rules.

“I don’t control the Hall of Fame rule,” Manfred said. “The Hall of Fame is an independent organization. They have their own rules. You know, I’m going to make a decision about the institution that I’m charged with protecting.”

Manfred, though, is a member of the Hall of Fame’s board of directors. Hall of Fame member, Reds legend, former Rose teammate and current Reds adviser Joe Morgan is the vice-chairman of the Hall of Fame’s board of directors.

Manfred was also asked about Major League Baseball’s stance on gambling, especially in conjunction with the league’s partnership with DraftKings.com, which allows monetary payouts for fantasy baseball. Manfred said fantasy sports are not the same as gambling, even if there is money involved.

“It’s not just my view, there’s a line in the law,” Manfred said. “And we understand that line very carefully. You know, before we did the deal with DraftKings we looked at all the games on their site, had them analyzed. We are comfortable that they are fantasy. We think the fantasy space is really, really important to us in terms of engaging young people.”

“Squawk Box” co-host Joe Kernen, a Western Hills native and St. Xavier High School graduate, said he was happy for the opportunity to ask Manfred the questions, but found it hard to be objective because he was such a big Reds fan growing up.

“It’s a mess, a lot of things in life are gray, but if you want a straight answer from me, I don’t know what to tell you,” Kernen told The Enquirer. “I love the Reds and I grew up loving Pete, but I don’t envy Rob’s job in this.”