# Pete Rose: Trump pardon and endorsement shake up Hall of Fame chances

Prior to his  in September,  had petitioned Major League Baseball several times through the years to consider his reinstatement following the  for gambling on baseball.

The petitions were summarily denied – or ignored – each and every time.

But the confluence of the MLB hit-king's passing and  could be the factors that dramatically change the equation.

Trump's affinity for Rose and desire to see him get into the Baseball Hall of Fame is nothing new. Back in 2018, USA TODAY Sports found that , all calling for "Charlie Hustle" to be honored in Cooperstown.

For good measure, Trump said he plans to pardon Rose, who spent several months in jail after pleading guilty to tax evasion in 1990.

While the president may not have a grasp on the  process, stating in his  post that MLB itself "didn’t have the courage or decency" to induct Rose (the Hall of Fame handles voting, and Rose has never appeared on a ballot), the bureaucratic details aren't the point.

In the months since Trump's second election victory, some of America's largest companies have fallen in line for the incoming administration by doing things like .

With public pressure from Trump, will commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB follow suit?

Either way, everything we thought we knew about Pete Rose's affair has changed in the past few months. And fans should be taking this round of discourse far more seriously.

  
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