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Former MLB star Mo Vaughn expressed his sympathy for Pete Rose and his family as the baseball legend did not enter the Hall of Fame during his lifetime.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred posthumously removed Rose from the permanent ineligibility list in May 2025, months after his death, allowing Rose to finally be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“I feel bad for him and his family that now that he’s passed away and he’s in heaven, we’re now going to remove him (from the permanently ineligible list),” Vaughn told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
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(Left) Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Pete Rose greets fans as he is introduced during a pre-game ceremony unveiling his bronze statue outside the stadium before the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, June 17, 2017. (Right) Former Red Sox player Mo Vaughn walks to the pitcher’s mound before the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, April 15, 2022. (IMAGN/Getty Images)
“I love Pete Rose. I think Pete Rose is baseball. I think he exemplifies everything baseball is.”
The 1995 American League MVP said Rose should be given some leeway for his mistakes. Rose became a polarizing figure when news of his gambling shook the sporting world, and he was banned for life in 1989.
Rose admitted to gambling in 2004 after years of maintaining his innocence.
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Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Pete Rose waves to fans as he is introduced during a pregame ceremony for the unveiling of a bronze statue in his honor before the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 17, 2017. (IMAGINE)
“If there’s a guy that I think should be inducted, he should be given some leeway. And I know, oh, you know, well, you need to apologize. Look, we all have, we all make mistakes,” Vaughn said. “He didn’t bet against his team. He bet for his team.”
Vaughn also cited Major League Baseball’s partnerships with gambling companies as another reason why Rose should be inducted.
Rose is the MLB hit king with 4,256 career hits. He was the National League MVP in 1974 and was a 17-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion and three-time batting champion.
Former Red Sox outfielder Mo Vaughn walks to the pitcher’s mound before the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, April 15, 2022. All players wear (42) in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Vaughn played in the major leagues for 12 seasons. He spent eight with the Boston Red Sox, two with the then-Anaheim Angels and two with the Mets.
The three-time All-Star had a career batting average of .293 with 328 home runs and 1,064 RBIs. He has a podcast called “The Mo Vaughn Podcast,” which debuted in August. He has interviewed former MLB commissioner Bud Selig, six-time All-Star Kenny Lofton and many other former players.
