Longstanding rule currently bars Pete Rose from entry into MLB Hall of Fame

The late Major League Baseball legend Pete Rose, 83, won't be going into the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously, given that he agreed to a permanent MLB ban 35 years ago.

Many observers, including former President Trump, think Rose should be allowed in the Hall of Fame.

“The GREAT Pete Rose just died. He was one of the most magnificent baseball players ever to play the game. He paid the price! Major League Baseball should have allowed him into the Hall of Fame many years ago,” Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, wrote on social media. “Do it now, before his funeral!”

As the Associated Press points out, sports fans have often referred to Rose's ineligibility as a lifetime ban from the game after a MLB probe of his betting. However, Rose, a 17-time All-Star with 4,256 hits, actually agreed to a "permanent" ban.

Under a rule adopted by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, Rose would not be eligible for entry into the Hall of Fame due to his permanent ineligibility status, despite his recent death.