Pete Rose was once considered to be one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball (MLB) and a shoe-in for the National Baseball Hall of Fame (NBHoF). Everything changed in an instant when he was found guilty of gambling on baseball games in 1989 and banned from baseball. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court overturning a federal law preventing sports gambling in May 2018, baseball’s all-time hit leader is no closer to finding a spot in the Hall and, in fact, his chances appear to be dwindling.

A recent poll conducted by Seton Hall Sports found that 52% of Americans believe MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred should remove the ineligibility ban to give Rose a shot at being inducted into the NBHoF. While the number is still relatively high, its 4% lower than it was when the same poll was conducted two years ago, demonstrating a reduction in support of the removal of the ban.

The NBHoF is not an MLB body. It is a separate, non-profit entity, but its rules prevent any player from being selected if he is on the MLB’s ineligible list.

Rose has been petitioning the MLB to be reinstated several times. However, Manfred has denied the requests and stated in 2015, “It is not part of my authority to make any determination concerning Mr. Rose’s eligibility as a candidate.”