Pete Rose predicted his posthumous induction into Hall of Fame, griped with timing of potential inclusion

MLB all-time hits leader Pete Rose died last fall while still serving his permanent ban from the league and its Hall of Fame. In an interview conducted 10 days before his death on Sept. 30, 2024, Rose predicted he would reach the Hall of Fame after he died.

Rose was permanently banned from MLB in 1989 when he was found to have gambled on games as a player and manager. That ban extended to the Hall of Fame, where he would have been inducted long ago if not for the ban.

As Rose grew older, some fans pushed to lift the ban and get him into the Hall of Fame. However, as Rose told Ohio sportscaster John Condit in what is believed to be his last interview, he never believed he would be inducted while he was still alive.

“I’ve come to the conclusion — I hope I’m wrong — that I’ll make the Hall of Fame after I die,” Rose told Condit, according to ESPN. “Which I totally disagree with, because the Hall of Fame is for two reasons: your fans and your family. That’s what the Hall of Fame is for. Your fans and your family. And it’s for your family if you’re here. It’s for your fans if you’re here. Not if you’re 10 feet under. You understand what I’m saying?

“What good is it going to do me or my fans if they put me in the Hall of Fame couple years after I pass away? What’s the point? What’s the point? Because they’ll make money over it?”

Toward the end of his life, more debate arose about whether MLB commissioner Rob Manfred should lift the ban and let Rose into the Hall of Fame. That hasn’t happened yet, and our own Matt Snyder argues it should never happen due to Rose breaking very clear and long-standing rules about gambling.

In his playing career, Rose amassed 4,256 hits in 3,62 games, both of which stand as all-time records. He was also a three-time World Series champion with 17 All-Star appearances. Following his playing career, Rose managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 until his ban in 1989.