ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. has reported that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently considered a request by the family of Pete Rose, to remove Pete Rose’s name from the baseball ineligibility list permanently. The news comes after Donald Trump released a statement urging Rose to be reinstated and eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.
Multiple sources familiar with the situation informed ESPN Saturday that Commissioner Rob Manfred was considering a request filed by Pete Rose’s family on January 8, to remove Major League Baseball’s hit leader from the ineligible baseball list.
Trump, in a press release released just one day earlier, expressed his desire to grant Pete Rose a Presidential Pardon posthumously, fueling debates about his legacy as the King of Hits and potential inclusion into Cooperstown.
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The specific actions for which Trump may pardon Rose are unclear. However, Trump’s position reflects the general sentiment that Rose is deserving of a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Pete Rose died on the 30th of September 2024 at age 83.
In December of last year, reports claim, Rose’s daughter Fawn along with Jeffrey Lenkov’s, Rose’s former legal representative, had met MLB’s Pat Courney and Commissioner Manfred. This meeting was centered on Rose’s potential posthumous lifting of his ban.
Van Natta reports that Lenkov described the commissioner as “respectful, gracious, and active in constructive discussions concerning removing Rose” from the ineligible lists. So we could apply for induction to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It was long his wish and his family now seeks it after his death.
Each year, the debate about Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame qualification is a common topic during Hall of Fame vote discussions. Baseball fans seem to favor his reinstatement, and inclusion on the Hall of Fame ballot.
Rose has the support of former US President George W. Bush, so the Commissioner Manfred’s and league’s offices will make the final decision. There is the looming issue of whether Commissioner Manfred and the league’s office will grant Rose his path to baseball immortality.
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