US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will issue a posthumous pardon for baseball legend Pete Rose, while criticising Major League Baseball (MLB) for barring him from the Hall of Fame due to gambling violations.
Rose, who passed away last year at the age of 83, remains baseball’s all-time hit leader but was permanently banned from the sport in 1989 for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds.
In 2004, he admitted to placing bets but maintained that he never wagered against his own team.
"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He never bet 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."
Trump did not specify what the pardon would entail, as Rose was never convicted of a crime.
Rose’s legacy, however, extends beyond his gambling scandal. In 2017, the Philadelphia Phillies canceled a ceremony to honor him after allegations resurfaced that he had a sexual relationship in the 1970s with an underage girl. Rose denied any wrongdoing, stating the girl was 16 at the time, the legal age of consent in Ohio.
A three-time World Series champion, Rose played the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds from 1963 to 1986. He remains MLB’s all-time leader in hits, games played, at-bats, singles,and outs.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ