Pete Rose is a name that once stood for baseball greatness. Yet, one mistake, and now he stands as one of the most controversial personas in MLB. With more hits than anyone in the history of the sport, he should have been untouchable and locked in Cooperstown by now. Yet, his career ended with a ban that kept him away from the very game he loved and gained all the fame from. Since then a debate has been raging.

Should Rose be reinstated? Should he find his place in Cooperstown? Now decades later after the event happened, the calls for his induction are seeing another outcry. Fans, players, and even leaders like Donald Trump are demanding MLB to acknowledge Pete Rose. A petition has also been submitted to Commissioner Rob Manfred. So he, along with his staff, is now reportedly considering whether to remove Pete Rose from the ineligible list. However, not everyone is on board.

Joel Sherman isn’t just against the idea—he is simply offended by the prospect of the it seeing the light of day. Speaking on The Show with Jon Heyman, Sherman didn’t hold back in his stance.

He pointed to Rule 21, which is posted in every major league clubhouse, clearly prohibiting gambling. Rose, who played more games than anyone in MLB history and even managed a team, walked past that several times. And yet he chose to ignore it. Hence Sherman says, “Um, I’m offended enough that it would be hard for me to honor him. He’s all over the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum—all over that building. He’s just not in the plaque room. I would have trouble putting an X next to his name.” He is not a fan!

Sherman stressed that MLB’s integrity hinges on fair play, citing the 1919 Black Sox scandal—when players rigged the World Series, nearly sinking baseball. The fallout led to the creation of Rule 21. And Rose violated the rule completely, and he denied doing it only to admit finally that he did lie when he inked it in his autobiography, “My Prison Without Bars,” and made money off it.

But for Sherman, gambling isn’t even the only issue; he also pointed out the federal prison time for tax evasion and inappropriate relationships with underage women. He summed it up best, ‘Yeah, and look, uh, John, I’ll do this as I’m vexed by it.”  Jon Heyman, meanwhile, argued that Pete Rose‘s accomplishments on the field make a lot of noise and hence make him eligibility-worthy. But he isn’t alone; many think so too.

Pete Rose supporters suiting up against MLB

If you ask who supported Pete Rose the most, the answer is that—it was himself. For example, during a candid video interview with sportscaster John Condit, he said, “I’ve come to the conclusion, I hope I’m wrong, I’ll make the Hall of Fame after I die.” And he isn’t far off, as discussions have started, and backing his Hall of Fame place is none other than Donald Trump!

Trump didn’t just defend Rose; he called out MLB for what for him is a complete injustice. The president of the country said, “Major League Baseball didn’t have the courage or decency to put the late, great Pete Rose, also known as ‘Charlie Hustle,’ into the Baseball Hall of Fame.” He also highlighted that Rose was a far better player than some players who even made it to Cooperstown. Ouch! And he even went ahead to promise that he would sign a ‘complete pardon’ for Rose.

And not just him, but even former Cincinnati Reds star Seam Casey has voiced his support for Pete Rose. “Dude, has he not paid the price? At the end of the day, Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.” Now Rose’s ban stems from a 1989 investigation that found him guilty while he was managing the games. It violated Rule 21, but there has been no evidence that he bet against his team though. So, what do you think—has Pete Rose paid the price of his mistake? Or does the rule breaker deserve his exile finally? Let us know your thoughts.