Two Ohio lawmakers are jumping into the fray to get famed Cincinnati Reds player Pete Rose into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Rose was banned for life from being inducted into the Hall of Fame over his gambling, and it is assumed the ban will be lifted upon his death. But many have been fighting to get him inducted while he is still alive to see it happen, Fox News reported.
Now, Ohio Reps. Bill Seitz and Tom Young are working to convince MLB and officials at Cooperstown to lift the ban on the 83-year-old player by sponsoring a resolution asking MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to end the penalty on the player known as “Charlie Hustle.”
Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds poses before an MLB game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963-1978 and from 1984-1986. (Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
“From the standpoint of talent in the game, there’s nobody better. Period,” said Rep.Seitz, who also said it is “hypocritical” of MLB to ban Rose now that there is widespread sports gambling from which MLB benefits. The resolution is, of course, non-binding.
For his part, Rose has applied for forgiveness from the league five times and has been denied each time.
Fox News added that Rose is a 17-time All-Star, hit .303 over his career, and won three World Series. His 4,256 career hits remain an all-time record.
But despite his claims of contrition, he has also admitted that he still gambles on baseball, which has complicated his hopes of seeing the Hall of Fame ban lifted during his lifetime.
Rose last sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Manfred in 2022 to say he is deeply sorry for his actions that resulted in his ban.
“I am writing today for three reasons,” Rose told Manfred. “First, because at my age, I want to be 100% sure that you understand how much I mean it when I say that I’m sorry. Second, to ask for your forgiveness. And third, because I still think every day about what it would mean to be considered for the Hall of Fame.”
Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. speaks during the 2024 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday, February 15, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
He went on to say that if he hurt baseball, it is a great regret.
“Besides spending time with my kids and my partner, there’s nothing that made me happier than playing baseball in front of fans. That I let them down and brought shame to the sport we all love is something I think about every single day,” he wrote.
Rose apologized to his fellow baseball players, whom he may have hurt over the years, but the constant scandals he has endured are a pain that never seems to go away.
“You can’t imagine how painful it is when I see my teammates from all the great teams I played on and players I played against go about their lives in ways I wanted to,” he says. “I want to be a part of that, too, and I know I probably never will. I am so grateful for the time I shared with them on and off the field. Nothing replaces it.”
“I am asking for your forgiveness,” Rose concluded. “Despite my many mistakes, I am so proud of what I accomplished as a baseball player — I Am the Hit King, and it is my dream to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Like all of us, I believe in accountability. I am 81 years old and know that I have been held accountable and that I hold myself accountable. I write now to ask for another chance.”
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