President Trump says he will issue 'complete pardon' of Pete Rose

Field Level Media|published: Sat 1st March, 10:32 2025

Reds great Pete Rose holds a star bearing his name before the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, June 24, 2016.

President Donald Trump said he intends to sign a "complete pardon" of the late Pete Rose, who was banned from baseball for betting.

Trump made the declaration late Friday on his Truth Social account.

It wasn't exactly clear what the pardon would cover. Rose, who in 2004 -- years after his 1989 ban -- admitted to betting on baseball while he managed the Cincinnati Reds, never faced criminal charges in relation to betting. In 1990, he spent five months in prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges.

Rose died Sept. 30 at 83 from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at his home in Las Vegas.

Rose, the all-time hits leader in Major League Baseball with 4,256, is not in the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- something that apparently bothers Trump. The Baseball Writers Association of America, which votes for Hall of Fame entry, and the Hall of Fame have complied with MLB's ban of Rose.

"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. 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 posted.

"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. 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. 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!"

MLB does not control Hall of Fame voting.

Rose made his major league debut on April 8, 1963, and played his last game on Aug. 17, 1986, during his stint as a player-manager with Cincinnati. In all, he played for the Reds from 1963-78 and 1984-86, the Philadelphia Phillies (1979-83) and the Montreal Expos (1984).

He had a career batting average of .303. won three National League batting titles, Rookie of the Year, NL Most Valuable Player (1973) and three World Series titles. He was a 17-time All-Star.

Rose managed the Reds in the 1984-89 seasons and had a record of 412-373.

--Field Level Media