Yankees Legend, Who Won 3 MVPs, Makes Stunning Pete Rose Claim
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Pete Rose, who died in September 2024, at the age of 83, was finally granted eligibility for induction into the Hall of Fame by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in May. Rose was hit with a permanent ban from MLB, including from the Hall of Fame, in 1989 after an investigation found that he had placed bets on baseball games, including games played by his own team, the Cincinnati Reds.
Rose placed the bets at the same time that he was serving as the Reds' manager, the investigation found.
PITTSBURGH, PA - 1985: Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds looks on from the field during batting practice before a Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in 1985 in...
PITTSBURGH, PA - 1985: Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds looks on from the field during batting practice before a Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in 1985 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MoreBut in May, Manfred ruled that all "lifetime" bans against MLB players would expire upon the player's death. That decision made Rose eligible, though if he is eventually inducted — of which there is no guarantee — it will obviously be too late for Rose himself to enjoy it.
And that is exactly what upset former New York Yankees — and Texas Rangers and before that Seattle Mariners — great Alex Rodriguez, a player who, based on his statistics, should be in the Hall of Fame himself.
Rodriguez discussed Rose's predicament in an interview on New York City's WFAN radio last week, and made a startling claim about baseball's all-time hits leader.
"Pete Rose, a great friend of mine," Rodriguez said in the radio interview. "It just breaks my heart that he's gonna get in now. But I actually feel that if he would have gotten in, he would have lived another five years."
Listen to the full interview with Alex Rodriguez: https://t.co/s5z38KMGMz — WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) June 20, 2025
Is that true? Would Rose have lived to age 88 had he been inducted into the Hall of Fame?
Of course, there's no way to know. The expected lifespan of an American male born in 1941, as Rose was, is 71 years according to the United States Social Security Administration. That means Rose had already lived 12 years longer than the typical man of his generation when he passed away last year.
He would have been eligible for the honor, had he not received the lifetime ban, based on his record 4,256 base hits alone, starting in 1991.
Rodriguez's strange claim may have been motivated by his own struggles with the Hall of Fame. A member of the Yankees 2009 World Series championship team — still the most recent of the Bronx Bombers' 27 titles — and a winner of two MVP awards while in a Yankees uniform (plus a third while on the Rangers), Rodriguez ranks fifth on the all-time home run list with 696.
More MLB: Pete Rose Hall of Fame Bid Gets Support From John Rocker, Disgraced Ex-Pitcher
His career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 117.4 ranks 12th, just behind Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams.
However, Rodriguez was suspended for the 2014 season after he admitted using performance enhancing drugs for several years during his playing career.
Unlike Rose, however, Rodriguez has not received a lifetime ban and has indeed been eligible for Hall of Fame induction since 2021. But voters simply cannot get past his admitted PED use.
He would need 75 percent of all votes to get in, and so far he has never received more than 37.1 percent, which was his share in 2025.
More MLB: Two-Time All-Star Goes on Rant Against MLB Decision on Pete Rose in Hall of Fame
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USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
How do the Brewers keep doing this? Milwaukee keeps its secrets in 'The Keg'
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Look who has won 22 of their last 30 games, and are sitting in second place (46-36) just two games behind the Chicago Cubs. The only team in baseball with a better record in this stretch is the Tampa Bay Rays. They are scoring an NL-leading 5.6 runs a game and 3.41 ERA. Yep, they're back, doing Brewer things once again. While we're watching the team climb into a playoff position if the season ended today, the Brewers, originators of the Famous Racing Sausages a quarter-century ago, have found another way to entertain their fiercely loyal fanbase. The Brewers are having an alumni Home Run Derby on July 25 celebrating their 25-year anniversary at American Family Field, featuring 10 of their former players. 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I said, I cannot show up and be a chump. So, I'm getting in shape, going to the cage, and getting those blisters back. 'I'm ready give some fans a whole lot of souvenirs." Says Fielder, who hit a National League-leading 50 homers in 2007, produced six consecutive seasons of 30 or more, and just won the Home Run Derby at the East-West Classic at Rickwood Field: 'Let 'em talk. I know I'll be ready. We'll see who else is." While everyone took turns boasting about their potential exploits, they couldn't stop gushing about a franchise that has never won a World Series, while expressing their love and appreciation for a community that makes them feel as if its a second home. 'That place, and the vibe there, is second to none," says Thames, who played for teams in four different countries. 'I love the restaurants, the bars, and the energy is unmatched. People just want to have fun and watch a good game. 'It's not like Philly or New York where you are getting death threats. It's just a positive atmosphere. I mean, even when we weren't doing well, the crowds were still showing up." The Brewers, with 14,400 season-ticket holders, are averaging 28,967 fans a game. They have the 10th-largest attendance in baseball since 2005. They had a sellout crowd of 42,774, their biggest crowd since July 3, 2023, on a Wednesday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates. They sold more than 10,000 seats in just 27 hours after announcing the pitching matchup of 2024 rookie sensation Paul Skenes and 2025 Brewers rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski. 'This has always been a baseball town," says Brewers president Rick Schlesinger, a Milwaukee native. 'People may leave for school, or for different things, but they come back. They always come back. Baseball has a way of people feeling good about our city, and our players love it here. 'It's not the big media market. The players can have a life during the season without being hounded by fans off the field. The way the families are treated by the fans, the front office, the stability in the baseball department, those little things all make a difference." Says former All-Star outfielder Carlos Gomez: 'I haven't played in Milwaukee for 10 years but when I go back there, it's like I never left. They show me so much love. I'll go to restaurants, people recognize me, and sometimes they don't even let me pay. That city is unbelievable. Even when they traded me, I said when I retire, I'm going to retire as a Brewer." Braun, the 2011 NL MVP who was later ensnared in the Biogenesis PED scandal and suspended 65 games in 2013, was almost immediately forgiven by Brewers fans. He was inducted a year ago into the club Hall of Fame, is a front office advisor, and is heavy involvement in Milwaukee restaurants and developments. He still just might be the Brewers' most popular player since Hall of Famer Robin Yount, living in Malibu, California, while calling Milwaukee his second home. 'There's just so much pride there, the way the fans support the team, embrace the community, show their love for the players," Braun says. 'The fans are some of the most unique, passionate, and inspiring in the game. When you play there, you feed off that energy. 'The organization just continues to exceed expectations. They get the most out of their players, maximizing performance on the field, and they encourage and inspire. Those teams play with an edge. You see it year after year." Let's face it, even after winning the NL Central title three of the last four years, and reaching the postseason six of the last seven years, this was the year the Brewers looked like they were waving the white flag before the season started. The Cubs loaded up, acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker from Houston, signed starter Matthew Boyd, shored up their bullpen, and were the heavy favorites to win the NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds grabbed future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona. The St. Louis Cardinals still remained a threat. And the Brewers? Well, they traded All-Star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees. They let All-Star shortstop Willy Adames walk away without making an offer when he went to San Francisco. Their only major free agent signing was veteran starter Jose Quintana to a one-year, $4.25 million contract. Brewers manager Pat Murphy simply spit out the truth in April when he said after a loss: "Now, did we go spend a lot of money in the offseason, guys? Let's call a spade a spade. No, we didn't. Are we real deep in the position player business? No, we're not." Well, here they are, with a $115.5 million payroll – third-smallest in the National League – and they are finding a way to win again, much to the dismay of teams salivating for the chance to acquire starter Freddy Peralta or Quintana at the trade deadline. Their sustained success, winning more games than any National League team but the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta since 2017, is stunning to everyone outside the 414 area code with the exception, of course, their alumni. 'The last couple of years nobody had any expectations, it was just a lot of young inexperienced players," Braun says. 'Even a few weeks ago, most people wrote them off. ... The track record speaks for itself. 'Our front office is at the forefront of innovative innovations. You see the way they optimize roster construction, the strengths of the team, and take advantage of all the nooks and crannies of their home ballpark. They really have a unique proprietary data system. It helps identify undervalued assets.'' The data system, located in the beer drinking capital of America, is appropriately called, 'The Keg." It's the reason why the Brewers can let baseball operations president David Stearns depart for a $10 million salary with the New York Mets, manager Craig Counsell bolt for an $8 million salary with the Cubs, simply promote Matt Arnold in the front office, Murphy to the manager's seat, and still remain a power. Folks in Milwaukee still are livid that Counsell left for the Cubs, of all teams, but that anger greatly subsided when the Brewers ran away with the NL Central last year, and are looming larger each day in the Cubs' rear-view mirror. 'Our fans were upset, but it's not like [Counsell] was selling nuclear secrets to North Korea," Schlesinger says. 'I think our fans were just shocked more than anything that it was the Cubs. But this organization is bigger than any one person. 'It's not vindication, but just great pride in the organization, and Arnold and Murphy just kept their focus." The Brewers will always have to make calculated gambles. They will never have the biggest stars. They will always have to trade away their best players before they become too rich for their payroll. But, unless someone drinks all of those proprietary secrets in The Keg, the Brewers will always find a way to be a contender. 'When you don't have unlimited resources, necessity is the mother of invention," Schlesinger says. 'It forces you to be creative, nimble, and make high-risk decisions." Yep, just like when the Brewers acquired Gomez from the Minnesota Twins in 2009, helped develop him into a star, nearly traded him to the New York Mets for future ace Zack Wheeler and infielder Wilmer Flores until the Mets balked at Gomez's physical, only to turn around and still trade him to the Houston Astros in a package that included future All-Star closer Josh Hader. 'The Brewers mean everything to me," Gomez says. 'They gave me the opportunity to develop. They visualized my talents and gave me the opportunity to play every day. They made me who I am today. 'I'm proud to be a Brewer. I think we all are. I don't think we'd be doing this home run derby for any other team. We're doing it because we love this organization, and always will." Soderstrom's soda deal SodaStream, searching for someone to help launch their advertising campaign, didn't bother with anyone on a Hall of Fame path, one who plays in a big market, or one that's even a household name. They went with a young athlete who plays his games in a minor-league stadium and who's not even the biggest star on his own team. They pursued Athletics first baseman Tyler Soderstrom because, well, his name. Soderstrom. SodaStream. It was simply too good to ignore. 'The similarity to my last name is pretty awesome," Soderstrom told USA TODAY Sports. 'So, I was pumped up. You don't really see the small market guys do a lot of commercials or endorsements." Well, come to think of it, Soderstrom says, he's not aware of a single player on his own team who endorses any national products. 'I'm sure there's going to be some friendly banter in the clubhouse,'' says Soderstrom, who's hitting .255 with a career-high 14 homers, 46 RBI and a .772 OPS in his first full season. Soderstrom, 26, laughs. Maybe once people get a whiff of his advertisements, they could be more endorsements along the way. Besides, they will be in Sacramento for only 2 ½ more years with the groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas taking place this past week. 'The renderings look awesome," says Soderstrom, who's hitting .360 since June 20. 'It's getting the ball rolling for sure. It's definitely exciting. Everyone is really look forward to getting there." The new digs should be nice after playing in a minor-league ballpark, but playing in Sacramento definitely has its advantages. Soderstrom is from Turlock, California, just 88 miles from Sacramento. His parents drive up to see him play virtually every home game, with at least one or two relatives always in the stands. 'It's been good being the local guy," Soderstrom said. 'I think they've done a good job dealing with what they could with the ballpark. They just changed the surface. But I know as the summer goes on, that ball could start flying." In the meantime, the endorsement isn't going to make Soderstrom that much richer, but considering he and his fiancée, Bailey, are getting married in November, a little extra cash could be handy. Of course, he could have gotten a real nice payday if a certain Hall of Famer didn't intercept him on the field after the team's final home game at the Oakland Coliseum. Soderstrom caught the ball for the final out last September, started to run off the field, only for Rickey Henderson, who died in December, to grab him. 'Rickey wanted it," Soderstrom said. 'What am I going to do? I owe him the ball, so I handed it to him. Pretty cool moment though, real cool." 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New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Mount Postmore: The Yankees greats who didn't make the cut
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Steelers send T.J. Watt to Commanders in wild trade hypothetical
The Steelers–T.J. Watt contract woes could carry on for a while longer — but what if Pittsburgh refuses to play along and cuts their losses before an agreement is reached? That is precisely the scenario fantasized by Fox Sports' David Helman — who was tasked with finding the best landing spots for each of the NFL minicamp holdouts. According to Helman, while the idea of Pittsburgh sending Watt to the Commanders is highly unlikely, Washington's desperate need for a pass rush warrants the projection. He even acknowledged that trading star WR Terry McLaurin would open more 'financial wiggle room' for the Commanders to add a player of Watt's caliber. When discussing how the Steelers star defender would fit into the Commanders' defense, Helman argued the following: "Adding [Watt] to a pass rush that currently includes Frankie Luvu, Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise, and Clelin Ferrell would upgrade the Washington pass rush from 'so-so' to outright dangerous." Watt could turn the Commanders into instant Super Bowl contenders — but unless Washington offered McLaurin and a haul of premium draft picks, trading away a future Hall of Fame defender feels like an on-field recipe for disaster — and a PR nightmare waiting to happen. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
