"Broke my heart he couldn't get in while he was alive" - Alex Rodriguez emotionally speaks on Pete Rose's potential posthumous Hall of Fame induction

New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez might not have his name inducted into the Hall of Fame anytime soon, but the late Pete Rose could.

In May, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that players will be removed from the ineligible list after their deaths, opening the door for MLB hits leader Pete Rose's induction.

Rose, who died in September 2024, was placed on the ineligible list for betting on the Cincinnati Reds during his stint as a player and a manager with the team. He admitted to gambling on Reds games in 2004.

However, with MLB's decision in May, Rose will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in December 2027.

Alex Rodriguez spoke about the MLB icon's potential posthumous induction in an interview at Fanatics Fest with Evan & Tiki.

He said (3:20 onwards):

"Pete Rose, a great friend of mine, it just breaks my heart that he's gonna get in now, because I've never met anyone that loves baseball more than Pete Rose, and it broke my heart that he couldn't get in while he was alive. But baseball is tough, it is a lifetime sentence."

Alex Rodriguez filled with gratitude despite potentially missing out on a place in Cooperstown

While talking about Pete Rose's induction, Alex Rodriguez also reflected on his mistakes, which potentially cost him an induction into the Hall of Fame.

"I am living the American dream today," Rodriguez added. "But I think moments like '04 when we lost after being up 3-0 or my PED suspension, I think about those moments, and I'm literally never been happier in my life because I'm so full of gratitude for the career that I've had through the ups and the downs.

"And because of my mistakes, I may not end up in the Hall of Fame, and we've talked about this before. You know, going through my therapy doing my work, learning from my mistakes. I've never been in a better place. It still bothers me, I want to be in the Hall of Fame, of course."

Alex Rodriguez's PED suspension has hurt his Hall of Fame contention, with his eligibility being debated among MLB fans and analysts.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash