President Donald Trump was among those calling for MLB legend Pete Rose’s reinstatement from the permanently ineligible list, according to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
In May, MLB removed Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and others from the permanently ineligible list, opening the way for their enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Speaking to reporters at a news conference on Wednesday, Manfred revealed that Trump had been among those advocating for Rose’s reinstatement.
“The president was one of a number of voices that was supportive of the idea that this was the right decision,” Manfred said. “Obviously, I have respect for the office and the advice that he gave I paid attention to, but I had a lot of other people that were weighing in on the topic, as well.”
Trump’s feelings on the subject are well known; in March, he posted on social media that he intended to pardon Rose. The following month, he met with Manfred about Rose’s status.
“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 wrote.
“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!”
In May, a ray of hope appeared on the horizon for those who wanted to see Rose in the Hall of Fame when Manfred altered MLB policy so that a person’s tenure on the ineligible list would conclude at the time of their death.
“This issue has never been formally addressed by Major League Baseball, but an application filed by the family of Pete Rose has made it incumbent upon the Office of the Commissioner to reach a policy decision on this unprecedented issue in the modern era as Mr. Rose is the first person banned after the tenure of Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to die while still on the ineligible list. Commissioner Manfred has concluded that MLB’s policy shall be that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual,” the MLB announced.
Rose died in September from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at the age of 83.
“Charlie Hustle” was banned from baseball by then-Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for gambling on baseball as a manager and as a player. Rose steadfastly denied the accusations for years, until 2004, when he came clean and admitted that he had gambled on baseball.
