Major League Baseball has been dealing with a decades-old controversy that has divided fans across America.
The debate has raged for years about whether one of baseball’s greatest players deserved a second chance.
And Donald Trump dropped one bombshell that made MLB officials do the unthinkable for Pete Rose.
Trump’s influence helps change Pete Rose’s fate
Pete Rose has been one of the most polarizing figures in baseball history since he was banned from the sport in 1989.
The former Cincinnati Reds star holds the all-time record for hits with 4,256, earning him the nickname "Charlie Hustle" for his aggressive style of play.
But Rose’s gambling on baseball games while he was a player and manager kept him locked out of the Baseball Hall of Fame for over three decades.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stunned the baseball world when he announced on May 13 that Rose and 16 other deceased players would be removed from the permanently ineligible list.
This historic decision opened the door for Rose to potentially be voted into the Hall of Fame, even though he passed away on September 30 at age 83.
During a news conference at the owners meeting, Manfred revealed that President Donald Trump played a role in the groundbreaking decision.
"The president was one of a number of voices that was supportive of the idea that this was the right decision," Manfred told reporters. "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."
President Trump never forgot about Charlie Hustle
Trump had been vocal about his support for Rose’s Hall of Fame candidacy long before the decision was made.
Back in February, the President wrote on Truth Social that he planned to pardon Rose and blasted MLB for keeping him out of Cooperstown.
"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," Trump declared in his social media post. "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 didn’t hold back in his criticism of MLB’s handling of the situation.
"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," Trump continued. "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."
The President took aim at baseball’s declining popularity while making his case for Rose.
"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!" Trump added.
Trump and Manfred met in April at the White House to discuss Rose’s Hall of Fame candidacy among other baseball topics before the commissioner made his final decision.
A policy change that rewrites baseball history
Manfred’s decision to lift the ban on deceased players represented a major shift in MLB’s approach to permanently banned individuals.
Rose became the first person banned after Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to die while still on the ineligible list, creating an unprecedented situation for the league.
According to MLB officials, Rose’s family had filed a petition requesting his removal from the banned list, forcing the commissioner’s office to address the unique circumstances.
Manfred established a new precedent by ruling that permanent ineligibility would end upon the death of the disciplined individual.
The commissioner explained his reasoning in a letter to Rose’s attorney, stating that deceased individuals could no longer pose a threat to the integrity of the game.
Rose’s complicated legacy gets a second chance
Pete Rose’s gambling scandal has overshadowed his remarkable playing career for decades.
After years of public denials, Rose finally admitted in 2004 that he had bet on baseball games.
MLB investigations determined that Rose wagered on Cincinnati Reds games from 1985-87 while serving as both a player and manager, though he consistently bet on his team to win rather than lose.
Rose died from heart-related complications, never getting to see his Hall of Fame dreams realized during his lifetime.
Just days before his death, Rose had predicted he would not make the Hall of Fame until after he died, if at all.
The policy change means Rose’s family can now pursue his Hall of Fame candidacy through the proper voting channels.
Whether voters will ultimately elect him to Cooperstown remains to be seen, but Trump’s advocacy helped ensure Rose would at least get that opportunity.
The earliest Rose could be considered for induction would be December 2027, when the Classic Baseball Era Committee next meets to vote on candidates.
Donald Trump’s willingness to speak up for controversial figures extended to one of baseball’s most debated personalities.
His influence appears to have played a key role in giving Pete Rose a posthumous shot at baseball immortality.
