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Former MLB star Mo Vaughn expressed his condolences toward Pete Rose and his family because the baseball legend was not inducted into the Hall of Fame while he was alive.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred posthumously removed Rose from the permanently ineligible 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 because now that he’s passed away and he’s in heaven, we’re taking him off (the permanently ineligible list),” Vaughn told Pak Gazette 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 pregame ceremony unveiling his bronze statue outside the stadium prior to 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, on April 15, 2022. (IMAGE/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 sports world, and he received a lifetime ban in 1989.
Rose admitted to gambling in 2004 after years of claiming his innocence.
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Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Pete Rose greets 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. (IMAGE)
“If there’s a guy that I think should be inducted, he should be given some freedom. And I know, oh, you know, well, you should apologize. Listen, we all make mistakes,” Vaughn said. “He didn’t bet against his team. He bet on his team.”
Vaughn also cited Major League Baseball’s partnerships with betting companies as another reason why Rose should be included.
Rose is the MLB hit king with 4,256 career hits. He was the 1974 National League Most Valuable Player and was a 17-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion and three-time batting champion.
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 on 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 .293 batting average 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.
