MLB Analyst Says He'd Vote for Pete Rose in Hall of Fame Amid His Reinstatement Request

Following Pete Rose's reinstatement request to the MLB on Wednesday, MLB analyst and voter for the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame, stated that he would vote for Rose in the Hall of Fame.

"I'm waiting in a jury room so I feel the need to rule: I'd say Pete should at least be allowed to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot. Also, I'd vote for him," MLB analyst Jon Heyman wrote on his Twitter. "Yes, he bet on. Yes, he lied about it. Fir [sic] a long time. But he's a Hall of Fame player."

Heyman's tweet comes shortly after ESPN reported that Rose had sent a petition to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to remove his name from the league's ineligible list, allowing him to be considered as a choice for the Hall of Fame. Rose was given a lifetime ban from the MLB in 1989 when the league discovered that he was illegally betting on games while holding the role of manager for the Cincinnati Reds.

In his reinstatement petition, Rose and his lawyers cite the outcome of the Houston Astros 2017 sign-stealing scandal. Just last month, the MLB released their report of the Astros, which found the team guilty of using cameras, TVs and a trashcan to relay signs from opposing teams. The investigation led to a one-year ban for both former Astros' head coach A.J. Hinch and former general manager Jeff Luhnow, but no punishments were handed to the players involved, which is one of Rose's main points in his petition.

His petition notes that Rose was given a lifetime ban for gambling on the games, but his misconduct never affected the outcome of the game or the players, while issues like the sign-stealing scandal and steroid use in the league have affected the outcome. Rose argued that players found guilty of those charges were never given as harsh of a punishment as him.

"When it comes to subsequent violations of Major League Baseball rules – namely steroid use and electronic sign-stealing – this is clearly not the case," the petition states. "They have intentionally and dramatically affected the results of plays and games, including the outcomes of two consecutive World Series."

"There cannot be one set of rules for Mr. Rose and another for everyone else. No objective standard or categorization of the rules violations committed by Mr. Rose can distinguish his violations from those that have incurred substantially less severe penalties from Major League Baseball," Rose's petition adds.

While Rose was handed the lifetime ban for his league violations while coaching the Reds, he also played for the team and became one of the league's most dominant players, which is why Heyman refers to him as a "Hall of Fame player."

From 1963 to 1984, Rose played for the Reds, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Montreal Expos and holds multiple MLB accolades. Rose holds the MLB record for the following; most career hits (4,256), most career games played (3,562), most seasons with 200+ hits (10) and most career at-bats (14,053). Rose is also the only player in MLB history to play in 500 games at five different positions, playing at first base, second base, third base, left field and right field.

Additionally, Rose is a three-time World Series Champion, a 17-time All-Star, the 1973 National League MVP, the 1975 World Series MVP and is a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.