Donald Trump has seemingly emerged as an influential figure in baseball after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred admitted the president had his ear when it came to the reinstatement of Pete Rose.
The late baseball legend became Hall of Fame eligible last month when the commissioner altered the policy, consequently lifting the lifetime ban handed down to the 17-time All-Star by then-commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti in 1989.
The decision came just two months after Trump hit out at MLB, claiming the league needed to ‘get off its fat, lazy ass, and elect’ Rose posthumously to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
And Manfred confessed this week that the president’s outspoken support of Rose – despite the scandals that plagued his career – influenced his decision.
‘The President was one of a number of voices that was supportive of the idea that this was the right decision,’ he told reporters, via TMZ. ‘Obviously, I have respect for the office, and the advice that he gave, I paid attention to.’
However, the commissioner did also stress that Trump wasn’t the only voice he listened to when weighing up the decision.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred admitted he ‘paid attention’ to Donald Trump’s thoughts
The late Pete Rose became Hall of Fame eligible last month after a ruling from Manfred
‘I had a lot of other people that were weighing in on the topic as well,’ he added.
Rose, a three-time World Series winner, passed away at the age of 83 in September without ever fulfilling his wish to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
While he is considered one of the greatest players in history, the legend was slapped with a lifetime ban for betting on the Cincinnati Reds as both a player and manager of the team in 1989.
Yet, Trump has long been an advocate for Rose, saying that he belongs in Cooperstown despite the all-time hit king’s issues with gambling, tax fraud, and alleged statutory rape.
Earlier this year, the Commander-in-Chief ripped into ‘lazy’ baseball in a Truth Social rant that claimed that he would pardon 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,’ Trump posted.
‘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!
‘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.
Rose, a three-time World Series winner, passed away at the age of 83 in September
The President hit out at Major League Baseball over Rose’s lifetime ban from the sport
‘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!’
Manfred discussed Rose with Trump when the pair met in April, but he didn’t disclosed specifics of their conversation at the time.
And in May, Manfred ultimately announced the change to the Hall’s policy regarding the ‘permanently ineligible’ list.
Manfred declared that anyone who was on that list who had died would now be eligible for consideration to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
That allows multiple people, including Rose and ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson among others, to be re-considered.
A 17-time All-Star during a playing career from 1963-86, Rose holds record for hits (4,256), games (3,562), at-bats (14,053), plate appearances (15,890) and singles (3,215).
He was the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, 1973 MVP and 1975 World Series MVP. A three-time NL batting champion, he broke the prior hits record of 4,191 set by Ty Cobb from 1905-28.
The all-time hit king’s ban previously prevented him from induction into the Hall of Fame
In 1989, Rose was banned from baseball by then-MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti after the league determined he’d bet on the sport.
He admitted to gambling on the Cincinnati Reds when he played for, and managed, the team from 1985 until 1987.
Rose and former commissioner Giamatti agreed to the lifetime ban in August 1989 after the investigation by lawyer John Dowd found that he placed numerous bets on the Reds, violating one of the oldest rules in baseball.
While he is not accused of betting against the Reds, Rose’s gambling presented a number of problems for MLB, which felt the sanctity of the game was threatened.
