Orioles star Henderson believes MLB hit leader Pete Rose belongs in Hall of Fame

Pete Rose is finally eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but he may not be as much of a lock as people think he is.

Rose’s on-field resume speaks for itself – he is MLB’s all-time hit king, won three World Series and was a 17-time All-Star with a career .303 batting average.

However, his gambling spurned his baseball life.

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Cincinnati Reds player Pete Rose. (IMAGN)

In 1989, amid accusations Rose had bet on the game while he was playing and managing, he was handed down a lifetime ban from the game. Two years later, the Hall of Fame said that anyone on baseball’s ineligible list would not be eligible to be voted on.

However, MLB announced earlier this month that ineligibility ends after death, thus making Rose a candidate for Cooperstown. In all likelihood, Rose will get in, but some will always feel a type of way – including current All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

“He’s obviously one of the game’s greatest hitters. I don’t know. I get it, but at the same time, he’s one of the game’s greatest players of all time. Leader in hits. Glad to see it, but also get both sides of it,” the Baltimore Orioles star said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital, but Henderson eventually begrudged. 

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Pete Rose adjusts his cap as he takes the microphone during a pregame ceremony for the unveiling of Rose’s bronze statue being installed outside the stadium before the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, June 17, 2017. (IMAGN)

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“I would let him in. I mean, he’s just too great of a player to not be in it,” he obliged.

Henderson spoke to Fox News Digital on behalf of VKTRY, as he has been wearing their insoles since spring training. He said he saw their ads on Instagram, wore them, and never looked back.

“I was kind of intrigued by the idea behind it and the science behind it. So it was really cool when I had the opportunity to join the team,” he said. “I kind of tested them out in spring training this year. For me, stability is a big thing, especially in the infield, in the box. That was the biggest thing I had to check off the list, and they passed the test.”

Gunnar Henderson, #2 of the Baltimore Orioles, hits a solo home run against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the seventh inning at RingCentral Coliseum on Aug. 20, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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Henderson is batting .301 with an .883 OPS in his last 23 games, so it is easy to see why he is a fan VKTRY insoles. However, he is going to have to wear them for a long time if he has any hopes of catching up to Rose.

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