President Donald Trump announced he will soon issue another pardon. This time to baseball icon Pete Rose, rekindling controversy over the all-time hits leader’s permanent ban from Major League Baseball and his ongoing exclusion from the Hall of Fame.
Rose, who passed away last year at the age of 83, was indefinitely banned from professional baseball in 1989 following an investigation that concluded he had placed bets on games while serving as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Although he admitted in 2004 to gambling on his own team, he has consistently maintained that he never bet against them. In 2015, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred denied Rose’s request for reinstatement, reinforcing the league’s longstanding prohibition.
In 2023, the gambling website Fan Duel announced “a multi-year partnership making its industry-leading sportsbook a co-exclusive Official Sports Betting Partner of MLB.”
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, characterized Rose’s lifetime ban as excessive, acknowledging that while Rose should not have gambled on baseball, his wagers were exclusively in favor of his team winning. The former president praised Rose’s record-breaking career and criticized MLB for continuing to prevent him from being considered for the Hall of Fame.
The precise scope of Trump’s proposed pardon remains uncertain. Rose’s legal issues extended beyond baseball, including a 1990 conviction for tax evasion that resulted in a five-month prison sentence. However, the primary impediment to his Hall of Fame eligibility has been his lifetime ban, imposed by then-Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti.
Rose’s family has been actively campaigning to clear his name. In January, they formally petitioned Commissioner Manfred to remove Rose from MLB’s ineligible list, a move they believe could open the door to his eventual induction into the Hall of Fame, reported ESPN. Jeffrey Lenkov, a Los Angeles attorney representing the family, stated that he and Rose’s daughter, Fawn Rose, met with Manfred in December to discuss their request.
MLB has not yet responded to Trump’s pledge or provided any indication of when a decision regarding Rose’s reinstatement might be made. Hall of Fame officials have previously stated that players on MLB’s ineligible list remain disqualified from induction, even posthumously. Nevertheless, Lenkov remains optimistic that a successful petition could prompt a reconsideration of Rose’s legacy.
Throughout his 24-season career, predominantly with the Cincinnati Reds, Rose solidified his place as one of baseball’s greatest players. He still holds the MLB records for career hits (4,256), games played, and at-bats, and he was instrumental in securing three World Series championships. Despite these historic achievements, his association with gambling continues to cast a shadow over his otherwise illustrious career.
