President Donald Trump plans to pardon Pete Rose

• President Donald Trump plans to pardon MLB star Pete Rose. Trump acknowledged that Rose “shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING”
• Rose was banned in 1989 from Major League Baseball and the Hall of Fame for sports betting.
• Pete Rose died in September 2024 of natural causes at the age of 83

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President Donald Trump says he plans to issue a pardon of MLB legend Pete Rose. The president posted on Truth Social Friday night, Feb. 28, acknowledging the former baseball legend, “shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING.”  Trump added, “He had the most hits, by far, in baseball history, and won more games than anyone in sports history.”

Banned from baseball

“Charlie Hustle” as baseball fans knew him, was banned in 1989 from Major League Baseball and the Hall of Fame for sports betting. An investigation determined Rose had bet on Cincinnati Reds games between 1985-1987.

Rose both played and managed the Reds during that time. Later, the Hall of Fame board of directors ruled those appearing on baseball’s permanently ineligible list may not appear on the Hall of Fame ballot.  He admitted to the allegations in 2004.

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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in 2015 denied Rose’s application for reinstatement.  

“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,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in 2023. “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.”

On Friday, John Dowd, who investigated Rose for MLB in 1989 and served as Trump’s lawyer seven years ago, told ESPN that MLB is “not in the pardon business nor does it control admission to the HOF.”

Pardon expected soon

The president said he would sign a pardon for Rose “over the next few weeks.” He did not say what the pardon would cover. Rose served five months in prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges in 1990.

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Rose spent most of his 1963 to 1986 career with the Reds.  He won the World Series three times and remains Major League Baseball’s career leader in hits, games played, at-bats, singles and outs.

Pete Rose died in September 2024 of natural causes. He was 83.