I am one of the few people that has defended Pete Rose in that I believe he can be kept out of baseball (in terms of no longer being allowed to participate in anything having to do with Major League Baseball) but still be allowed to be in the Hall of Fame. Rose owns if I am not mistaken, about 17 Major League Baseball records including of course, his signature achievement of 4,256 hits. The question of whether Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame or not is a robust debate.

Another debate is now brewing about Pete Rose and it is whether or not, he sent a signed baseball to Donald Trump that said, “Please make America great again.” Trump says he did and tweeted it:

Just received from @PeteRose_14.
Thank you Pete! #VoteTrump on
Tuesday Ohio! #Trump2016#MakeAmericaGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/UvP03n7dQq

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2016

Interesting, right? By the way, there was a response to Trump that is absolutely hilarious:

.@realDonaldTrump b4 u get 2 worked up, know that @PeteRose_14 will sign anything u tell him pic.twitter.com/1veSFZ9Oq0

— Phil Braun (@playazball) March 14, 2016

But what matters more is that Rose’s attorney, Ray Genco says this never happened:

“Pete has made a point not to ‘endorse’ any particular presidential candidate,” Genco said in a statement to NBC News. “Though he respects everyone who works hard for our country — any outlet that misinterpreted a signed baseball for an endorsement was wrong. Pete did not send any candidate a baseball or a note of endorsement.”

Genco added that through his “discussions with Pete about this cycle, I’ve learned that he believes that who to vote for is a decision each voter should decide for him or herself.”

That’s a relief because I was ready to throw in the towel against Rose and go on record as supporting his lifetime ban from the Hall of Fame.