MLB Legend Pete Rose to Receive 'Complete Pardon' from President Trump

President Donald Trump signaled his intention to issue a "complete pardon" for MLB legend Pete Rose.

"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 wrote on Truth Social. "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 New York Times' Qasim Nauman and Michael S. Schmidt noted that a presidential pardon would have "nothing to do with Rose's baseball career or gambling problems." It's unclear what purpose the action would serve.

Trump can't unilaterally act to overturn Rose's lifetime ban from baseball for betting on games.

Despite being a 17-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion and the 1973 National League MVP, Rose remains without a plaque at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. He committed the cardinal sin of gambling on games when he managed the Cincinnati Reds.

There have been calls over the years for MLB to reinstate Rose and for the Hall of Fame to reconsider his eligibility.

Rose, who died last September, argued in 2022 the reaction toward his infractions would be much different now because of how much the landscape has shifted. Major sports leagues didn't waste any time embracing legalized gambling once the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was struck down in 2018, and that includes forming official partnerships with sportsbooks.

But that doesn't change the fact that gambling on MLB games is still strictly forbidden for any league or team personnel. Commissioner Rob Manfred has said on multiple occasions he wouldn't seriously consider lifting Rose's ban.