Will Clark Advocates for Pete Rose's Hall of Fame Induction

Former MLB star Will Clark strongly believes that Pete Rose, the all-time MLB hits leader, should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame despite his gambling scandal. Clark argues that Rose's on-field accomplishments far outweigh his past transgressions.

Former MLB star Will Clark has joined the growing chorus of voices calling for Pete Rose to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Despite Rose's lifetime ban from baseball for gambling on the game, Clark believes that his on-field accomplishments should overshadow his past transgressions.

"What I was saying about Pete is how can you not let him into the Hall of Fame?" Clark said during a recent appearance on OutKick's "The Ricky Cobb Show." "He is by far, by far the best hitter of a baseball ever."

Will Clark Advocates for Pete Rose's Hall of Fame Induction

Rose, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 83, holds the MLB record for most hits (4,256), games played (3,562), and at-bats (14,053). He also won an MVP, three World Series championships, a World Series MVP, three batting titles, and was a 17-time All-Star over the course of his 24-year playing career.

Despite his impressive resume, Rose is not in the Hall of Fame because of a gambling scandal that occurred during his tenure managing the Cincinnati Reds. In 1991, upon Rose's eligibility for induction into Cooperstown, he agreed to go on the ineligible list as he denied the allegations. He would apply for reinstatement multiple times but was denied.

Will Clark Advocates for Pete Rose's Hall of Fame Induction

Clark, who played 15 seasons in the MLB, believes that Rose's gambling problem does not diminish his on-field achievements.

"He is unbelievable how good of a hitter that man was, and yet we let druggies and steroid users and everything else into this beautiful game of baseball, and we won't let the best that ever was at hitting a baseball into the Hall of Fame," Clark said. "I think it's a travesty."

Will Clark Advocates for Pete Rose's Hall of Fame Induction

Clark, who had a career batting average of .303 with 284 career home runs and 1,205 RBIs, recalled a story between him and Rose from his playing days.

"When I was a rookie, he sent a limo over to pick me up to go out to dinner, and he wanted to talk about Barry Larkin and whether Barry Larkin would be able to be a major leaguer," Clark said. "And I told him, yeah, without a shadow of a doubt Barry Larkin would be a major leaguer. And sure enough, Pete winds up calling him up because Pete was player-manager back then, and he wound up calling him up a little bit later and the rest is history. Barry's a Hall of Famer now."

Clark is not the only former player who believes that Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Former President Donald Trump also recently called for Rose's induction, saying, "Do it now before his funeral."

While the Baseball Hall of Fame's rules state that anyone on the ineligible list is not eligible for induction, there is a provision that allows the Hall of Fame's board of directors to reinstate a player if they believe there are "extenuating circumstances" that warrant it.

It remains to be seen whether the Hall of Fame will ever reinstate Rose, but Clark's comments add fuel to the growing movement to honor one of baseball's greatest hitters.