Editor, News-Register:

Donald Trump is wrong on this one.

The fate of Pete Rose entering the Hall of Fame should be left to those who vote on it, much like President Trump’s innocence or guilt was decided by the eligible voters of the United State — not jurors on blue state juries.

However, first Pete has to become removed from the banned from baseball list, which is up to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. Who knows, Manfred probably could be easily persuaded by politics the way he was in moving the All-Star game in Atlanta in 2021 due to Georgia’s voting laws.

It’s not a stretch to see the personality traits of Rose and Trump are very similar. Plus Trump is always looking to move public opinion to his favor on non-political issues. However, the argument Trump and many uninformed baseball fans, along with others, don’t understand is flawed. Any sports gambler should realize this.

To say, “Rose never bet on his own team when managing” is ridiculous. The manager controls all parts of the game from what starters he rests, what relief pitchers he uses, to who his starting pitcher for the day is. Just the fact he never placed a bet on the Reds when Bill Gullickson was the starting pitcher is an example.

Boxers are permitted to bet on themselves before matches but not against. When Pete was not betting on the the Reds when Bill Gullickson’s started, it definitely threw up a “red flag” back in the day of mostly illegal bookmaking. If a boxer bets on himself 20 straight times and then doesn’t, how would you bet on the outcome?

In closing, Pete deserves to have his ban from baseball removed and to be voted on for the Hall, but the argument of “He never bet against his own team” is not a good one whether the President of the United States makes it or the guy at the corner bar.

Jay Knapp

Moundsville