By Yasin Gungor
ISTANBUL (AA) — US President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will pardon late baseball legend Pete Rose and called for his induction into the Hall of Fame, despite Rose’s lifetime ban for gambling on games.
In a Truth Social post, Trump criticized Major League Baseball (MLB) for excluding Rose, who holds the record for most hits in MLB history.
“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.
He described Rose, nicknamed Charlie Hustle, as a “great” player who was “shamefully" denied Hall of Fame honors.
Rose, who died in September 2024, holds MLB records for most hits (4,256) and games played (3,562). Despite his achievements, he was banned in 1989 after admitting to betting on games, including those involving his own team, the Cincinnati Reds.
Trump argued that Rose’s contributions to baseball outweigh his mistakes, saying: "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.”