In one of Pete Rose’s final known interviews just 10 days before his death, he talked about his potential Hall of Fame induction.
Rose, who died at 83 in September from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, came to a conclusion about his Hall of Fame chances.
“I’ve come to the conclusion, I hope I’m wrong, I’ll make the Hall of Fame after I die,” Rose said to sportscaster John Condit in footage aired on “Fox & Friends” for the first time on Tuesday.
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Reds Hall of Famer Pete Rose gives a thumbs up to the fans as he is introduced at the unveiling of the bronze statue of him outside the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on June 17, 2017. (IMAGN)
“Which I totally disagree with because the Hall of Fame is for two reasons: your fans and your family,” he said in the clip. “It’s for your family if you’re here. It’s for your fans if you’re here, not if you’re 10 feet under.”
“What’s the point? Because they’ll make money over it? The Hall of Fame is for what you did on the field, not what you did off the field.”
Rose would undoubtedly be in the Baseball Hall of Fame if his statistics on the field outweighed breaking the golden rule in the sport.
Rose is MLB’s hit king, with 4,256 career hits. He was the National League MVP in 1974, was a 17-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion, and three-time batting title winner.
However, the Cincinnati Reds star became a polarizing figure when news of his gambling on games rocked the sports world. Rose received a lifetime ban from MLB in 1989 due to his gambling.
In the exclusive interview, Rose said he was not bitter about his banishment from Cooperstown.
Cincinnati Reds player Pete Rose in 1985. (IMAGN)
“I’m not bitter about everything,” Rose said.
“When you make a mistake, don’t be bitter to other people. I wish I hadn’t made the mistake, but I did, it’s history, get over it.”
“I didn’t hurt any of my fans by betting on the game of baseball, and by the way betting on the game of baseball to win. Every game I played in I wanted to win. I happened to win more than anybody else, but that’s OK, not bad,” Rose said with a smile.
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post last Friday night that he will sign a complete pardon for 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. 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!” Trump posted.
“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. 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!”
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Pete Rose during a ceremony before the Reds take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on June 17, 2017. (IMAGN)
Rose applied for reinstatement in 2020 and 2022, especially with legalized sports betting happening across the country. However, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred denied both requests, pointing to the Veteran’s Committee for any Hall of Fame discussions regarding Rose. Manfred also shot down any speculation about Rose’s reinstatement in 2023, as the league had partnerships with sportsbooks.
Manfred is reportedly considering a petition from Rose’s family to have him posthumously removed from baseball’s ineligible list. Which would potentially open the door for Rose to make the Hall of Fame and make his conclusion about his enshrinement true.
Although he isn’t in the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Reds inducted Rose into their own hall of fame in 2016, retiring his No. 14. He made several appearances in MLB ballparks in recent years before his death.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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