U.S. President Trump announced that he would pardon the late Pete Rose, the all-time hit king in Major League Baseball who left a blemish due to sports gambling.
On the 28th of last month (local time), President Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, criticizing the Major League Baseball office for lacking the courage to induct Rose into the Hall of Fame, and stated, "I will sign a full pardon within the next few weeks."
Rose, who played from 1963 to 1986 for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Montreal Expos, recorded a career-high 4,256 hits and won the World Series in 1975, 1976, and 1980.
However, in 1989, he was permanently banned from Major League Baseball after it was discovered that he bet on games involving the Cincinnati team he managed. His induction into the Hall of Fame was also blocked. Although Rose was not punished for sports gambling, he was imprisoned for five months in the early 1990s for tax evasion.
President Trump said, "He should not have gambled on baseball games," but argued, "He only bet on his own team's victories and did not bet on his team's losses or other teams' wins."
However, it is unclear whether the pardon mentioned by President Trump means Major League Baseball will revoke Rose's permanent ban or if it refers to a posthumous pardon for Rose's separate criminal record.
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