(TheProudRepublic.com) – President Trump announced his intention to sign “a complete pardon” of iconic baseball player Pete Rose posthumously in the coming weeks, addressing a longstanding injustice in America’s pastime.
See the tweet below.
This move aims to right a decades-old wrong that has kept baseball’s all-time hit leader out of the Hall of Fame.
Rose, who passed away last year at age 83, was permanently banned from baseball in 1989 after an investigation found he bet on games involving the Cincinnati Reds while managing the team from 1985 to 1987.
The President emphasized a crucial distinction that baseball’s elites have conveniently ignored: Rose “only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING” and “never betted against himself, or the other team.”
Trump stated:
“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. 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.”
This fact matters significantly, as it shows that Rose never compromised the integrity of the game—he believed in his team’s ability to win.
Trump’s pardon challenges the woke sports establishment that has denied Rose his rightful place in Cooperstown.
Rose’s career achievements are undeniable – he holds records for hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,215), and outs (10,328).
No player in history has more hits or games won, yet baseball bureaucrats continue to punish him even after death.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred rejected Rose’s reinstatement bid in 2015, part of a pattern of decisions that have frustrated traditional baseball fans who value on-field excellence over politically motivated witch hunts.
While the league may claim the high ground, its selective enforcement of rules and changing standards for what constitutes bannable offenses demonstrate hypocrisy.
The Hall of Fame’s 1991 rule preventing those on the permanently ineligible list from appearing on ballots was clearly designed to target Rose.
This created an unfair system in which players like Rose are judged more harshly than others who have committed arguably worse offenses.
Rose’s family has continued fighting for justice. Manfred is reviewing Rose’s family’s petition to remove him from the league’s ineligible list.
Manfred met with Rose’s lawyer and eldest daughter in December, showing that even baseball insiders recognize the ban may have been excessive.
The treatment of Rose exemplifies how American institutions often prioritize rigid adherence to rules over common sense and proportional punishment.
Rose’s gambling was wrong, but a lifetime ban followed by exclusion from baseball’s highest honor is excessive punishment for a man who gave everything to the game and never compromised its competitive integrity.
President Trump’s pardon could ultimately redefine how Americans view sports figures like Rose, who embodied excellence despite personal turmoil.
For many of Rose’s supporters, it is an overdue acknowledgment of a decorated sportsman’s unparalleled achievements.
President Trump announced he plans to posthumously pardon baseball legend Pete Rose.https://t.co/t9jVrEpfc7 pic.twitter.com/oD016p32lc
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) March 2, 2025
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