A majority of American adults believe Pete Rose should be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, according to a poll from Quinnipiac University.
Rose, Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader, was banned from the sport in 1989 for gambling on games involving the Cincinnati Reds while he served as the team's manager. The ban included exclusion from Hall of Fame consideration.
Rose died at 83 on Sept. 30.
According to the Quinnipiac poll, 60% favor Rose's Hall of Fame induction while 27% are opposed.
Major League Baseball recently lifted its ban on Rose, making him eligible for consideration by the Hall of Fame's Classic Baseball Era Committee. The committee will next meet in December 2027, with any potential induction for Rose taking place in 2028.
Among Rose's top supporters is President Donald Trump, who said February that he planned to issue a Presidential pardon for Rose even while acknowledging Rose's gambling involvement.
"He never betted against himself or the other team," Trump wrote on social media. "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 ass, and elect Pete Rose, even though far too late, into the Baseball Hall of Fame!"
Trump has not followed through with the pardon, and there has been no word on what might be causing delay. USA Today reported that it found at least 18 social media posts in which Trump mentioned Rose and that he should be in the Hall of Fame.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,115 U.S. adults nationwide from June 22-24 with a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.