For over three decades, Major League Baseball proudly upheld a hypocritical moral high ground, pretending that betting on your own team to win was somehow worse than orchestrating full-blown cheating scandals that decided championships. Pete Rose—a man who broke records, not laws—was the sacrificial lamb. But now, thanks in no small part to Donald J. Trump, the ban is lifted, and the path to the Hall of Fame is finally open.
It’s about time.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Pete Rose wasn’t exactly America’s sweetheart. He was brash, abrasive, and couldn’t care less about public relations. But here’s the thing—he was also the most relentless player to ever step onto a baseball diamond. The man racked up 4,256 hits, a record that still stands like a monument to hustle, grit, and old-school toughness.
And now, after dying in 2024, Rose has finally been removed from baseball’s permanently ineligible list, making him eligible for the Hall of Fame. Why? Because Trump had a quiet conversation with Commissioner Rob Manfred—and, suddenly, the wall that baseball’s gatekeepers refused to tear down for decades finally crumbled.
Trump Steps Up—Again
Trump’s influence on this issue isn’t some media fantasy. In April 2025, he met with Manfred and discussed Rose directly. That’s not speculation—that’s from Manfred’s own mouth. And in true Trump fashion, he took it public too, posting on Truth Social:
“Baseball, which is dying all over the place, should get off its fat, lazy ass, and elect Pete Rose, even though far too late, into the Baseball Hall of Fame!”
You don’t have to be a Trump voter to recognize that he did what no commissioner, no player’s union, and no baseball “purist” ever had the guts to do: push the system to correct itself.
And let’s be honest, Rose didn’t bet against his team. That matters. He believed in his players enough to put his money where his mouth was. It may not have been smart, it may not have been legal by MLB’s standards, but he never tanked games—which is more than we can say for teams using trash cans, buzzers, and cameras in recent memory.
Selective Outrage: MLB’s Real Problem
Let’s run down the list of baseball’s moral inconsistencies, shall we?
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The Houston Astros cheated their way to a World Series title using a literal sign-stealing system—and got to keep their rings.
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The Boston Red Sox were caught up in similar antics, and the league gave them a slap on the wrist.
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Players on both teams kept playing. Managers kept managing. Nobody was banned for life.
But Pete Rose? Banned for life for putting $1,000 on his own team to win.
Spare me the sanctimony.
MLB’s moral compass doesn’t point north. It points wherever the media outrage isn’t.
Rose Deserves a Spot—Warts and All
Look, we’re not pretending Pete Rose was a saint. He wasn’t. He was a hard-nosed ballplayer with sharp elbows and a bigger ego. But the Hall of Fame isn’t the Hall of Saints—it’s a museum of baseball’s best. And you don’t tell the story of baseball without telling the story of Charlie Hustle.
The numbers speak for themselves:
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4,256 hits
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17-time All-Star
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Three World Series titles
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National League MVP in 1973
All of that was accomplished before any bet was ever placed.
What happened afterward? Yeah, it was a mess. He denied it. Then admitted it. Then got defiant. But in the end, Rose paid a price most others never had to. And now that he’s gone, MLB suddenly finds its conscience?
Manfred’s Move: Too Little, Too Late?
Rob Manfred’s announcement was couched in safe, PR-friendly language: that a lifetime ban ends when the player’s life does. Well, thank you for that gem of clarity.
Translation: “We didn’t want to deal with it while he was alive, so we’ll reverse course now when it doesn’t cost us anything.”
It’s cowardly. But it’s also progress. And if it took Trump putting the pressure on to make it happen? So be it.
Because for once, baseball made the right call—even if they waited until the man was six feet under.
What Comes Next
Seventeen other players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, have now also been deemed eligible. The Classic Baseball Era Committee will review Rose’s case in December 2027.
But if we’re being honest, the voters better get this right.
The fans know it. The players know it. Even the betting apps know it. Pete Rose belongs in Cooperstown.
Not because he was perfect—but because he was baseball.
h/t: Steadfast and Loyal