MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stunned the baseball world last month, posthumously removing Pete Rose from the league’s permanently ineligible list for gambling on baseball. The move means Rose will be eligible for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now, Manfred is revealing the influence President Donald Trump had in his decision.
“The president was one of a number of voices that was supportive of the idea that this was the right decision,” Manfred told The Athletic’s Evan Drellich. “Obviously, I have respect for the office and the advice that he gave. I paid attention to (it). But I had a lot of other people that were weighing in on the topic as well.”
Manfred made the decision after meeting with Trump at the White House in April.
Rose was banned from the game for life in 1989 after being found to have gambled on Cincinnati Reds games while manager.
Trump previously posted on social media that he would pardon Rose, but never specifically said for what. In 1990, Rose pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion and was sentenced to five months in prison. He submitted falsified tax returns to underreport nearly $350,000 in income from autograph signings, memorabilia sales and gambling winnings.
“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 in February. “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.”
Trump has yet to pardon Rose.
Rose’s on-field statistics are Hall of Fame caliber — all-time hits leader (4,256), 17-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion, National League Rookie of the Year, 1973 NL MVP, and 1975 World Series MVP. But if the morality clause is used to keep players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens out of Cooperstown, voters must decide if the same standard should be held for Rose.
Rose died Sept. 30, 2024 at the age of 83.
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