Rose died last year
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post late Friday night that he will "be signing a complete pardon" of MLB's all-time hit king, Pete Rose.
Rose died last year before ever seeing himself make the Hall of Fame; writers have never been given the option to vote for him, as the Baseball Writers Association of America and Hall of Fame followed suit with MLB's lifetime ban of Rose in 1989 for gambling.
"Major League Baseball didn’t have the courage or decency to put the late, great, Pete Rose, also known as ‘Charlie Hustle,’ into the Baseball Hall of fame. Now he is dead, will never experience the thrill of being selected, even though he was a FAR BETTER PLAYER than most of those who made it, and can only be named posthumously. WHAT A SHAME!" Trump posted.
Pete Rose waves to his fans during the unveiling of a bronze statue dedicated to him at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, June 17, 2017. (IMAGN)
"Anyway, over the next few weeks I will be signing a complete PARDON of Pete Rose, who shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING. He never betted against himself, or the other team. He had the most hits, by far, in baseball history, and won more games than anyone in sports history. Baseball, which is dying all over the place, should get off its fat, lazy a--, and elect Pete Rose, even though far too late, into the Baseball Hall of Fame!"
Major League Baseball itself does not control who gets into the Hall of Fame; the baseball writers vote initially, while other committees to get players in further down the road are made by the Hall itself, not the league.
Rose died last September at the age of 83 from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
1985: Cincinnati Reds player Pete Rose. (IMAGN)
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Rose broke out with his hometown Cincinnati Reds, the team he played 19 of his 24 seasons with, three of which he also served as acting manager, in 1963, and he went on to make league history, while securing three World Series titles along the way.
Nicknamed "Charlie Hustle" for his relentless drive when on the diamond, Rose was league MVP in 1973, a 17-time All-Star, three-time batting title winner, Rookie of the Year and World Series MVP.
Despite his 4,256 career hits, he became a polarizing figure when the news of his gambling on baseball rocked the sports world.
Rose tried to apply for reinstatement to Major League Baseball on several occasions but was always denied. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred denied one in 2015, saying that Rose did not take responsibility for his actions and didn’t understand the damage he had caused while betting on the game.
Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hit king, was ruled ineligible for the Hall of Fame in 1989 for betting on baseball. Reds great Pete Rose holds a star bearing his name before the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, June 24, 2016. (The Enquirer/Sam Greene.)
Rose applied for reinstatement in 2020 and 2022, especially with legalized sports betting happening across the country. However, Manfred denied both requests, pointing to the Veteran’s Committee for any Hall of Fame discussions regarding Rose. Manfred also shot down any speculation about Rose’s reinstatement in 2023, as the league had partnerships with sportsbooks.
Though he isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Reds inducted Rose into their own hall of fame in 2016, retiring his No. 14. He made several appearances in MLB ballparks in recent years before his death.
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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