Donald Trump Clamor For Pete Rose's Posthumous Induction Into The Hall Of Fame

Many, including former President Donald Trump, don't agree with the lifetime ban from the MLB handed to Pete Rose.

The late baseball legend was banned because of gambling issues, and this cost him a chance at being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Days after his death, Trump called out the organization to posthumously induct him.

Tributes have been pouring in for Pete Rose since his passing at 83 on Monday, September 30. However, there have been several debates about his absence from the Hall of Fame — an issue the late athlete tried to solve before his death.

Although Trump has been actively campaigning for his return to the White House, he took a moment to honor Rose on his Truth Social platform. He implored the MLB and the Baseball Hall of Fame to show leniency, writing:

"The GREAT Pete Rose just died. He was one of the most magnificent baseball players ever to play the game. He paid the price! Major League Baseball should have allowed him into the Hall of Fame many years ago."

The Republican candidate added, "Do it now, before his funeral!" This isn't the first time Trump has pleaded for Rose's induction into the Hall of Fame as he echoed similar sentiments four years ago.

However, Trump's pleas weren't enough to change Rose's status, given the strict rules. According to AP News, those on the permanently ineligible list can never be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame.

The Hall's board of directors enacted the rule in 1991, two years after Rose agreed to the ban in August 1989. It also coincided with the year he would have been eligible to be on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

Sportscaster Bob Costas reflected on the strict rule on ESPN's "Get Up!" morning show, saying: "It was obviously aimed at Pete Rose, and from that day forward and to today, my position, the position of millions of others is, 'yeah, we get it, he broke the cardinal rule.'"

"He should be banned from baseball under that rule for life. But somebody got those 4,256 base hits and those three batting championships," Costas continued, arguing:

"Put him in the Hall of Fame, put it at the bottom of his plaque 'banned from baseball 1989, for life.' It's part of the record, but he should be in as a player."

Despite agreeing to the lifetime ban, Rose applied for reinstatement into the eligibility list of the Hall of Fame years later. However, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred denied his request in 2015 because of the late athlete's gambling issues.

Manfred doubled down on his decision in 2023, arguing: "Pete Rose violated what is sort of rule one in baseball, and the consequences of that are clear in the rule, and we've continued to abide by our own rules."

"It's just the rules are different for players. It's part of the responsibility that comes with the privilege of being a major league player," the MLB Commissioner added. Following Manfred's 2015 rejection, Rose took a second shot at his reinstatement in 2016.

The baseball legend directly appealed to the Hall to restore his eligibility, stressing that when he agreed to the lifetime ban, he did not know it would keep him out of the prestigious Hall of Fame.

The Blast shared that the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in Nevada announced Rose's official cause of death on Tuesday, October 1. The baseball superstar died from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

The coroner's report further noted that Rose had diabetes mellitus. Given his medical conditions and the absence of foul play, the 83-year-old's demise was ruled as natural. He was found unresponsive in his Las Vegas home by a family member.

Rose's death came a day after his last public appearance at the Fiterman Sports Group meet-and-greet in Nashville on Sunday, September 29. He posed for a picture with his former Big Red Machine teammates, smiling brightly despite being in a wheelchair.

Despite the lifetime ban, the MLB acknowledged Rose's death and achievements in a poignant statement, noting it "extends its deepest condolences to Pete Rose's family, his friends across the game."

"And the fans of his hometown of Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Montreal, and beyond who admired his greatness, grit, and determination on the field of play," the MLB added.

Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini penned similar sentiments on X in a statement that partly read, "He was one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen, and every team he played for was better because of him."

Rest in peace, Pete Rose.