MLB legend Frank Thomas once vouched for controversial baseball great's Hall of Fame bid, saying he was worthy of "a second chance"

MLB great Frank Thomas once backed controversial baseball star Pete Rose's entry into the Hall of Fame, claiming that he deserved "a second chance."

When Rose was accused of betting on baseball games while managing and playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 1989, he was given a lifetime ban from the sport. He was also accused of betting on his own club. The "permanently ineligible" list was established in 1991 by a formal vote of the Baseball Hall of Fame after such players had already been excluded by informal consensus from the voters.

Rose finally acknowledged that he had wagered on baseball and the Reds in 2004 after years of public denial.

In a 2017 interview with ESPN, Frank Thomas said:

"I think in this society, everybody deserves a second chance. If you're gonna let the PED guys in, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."

Thomas, also known as “The Big Hurt”, had been a longtime critic of players who used PEDs.

"It's uncomfortable at this point" - Frank Thomas on players linked to PED usage being inducted into Cooperstown

Frank Thomas also commented on how other players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens deserved to be in the Hall of Fame as many players linked to performance-enhancing drugs were getting inducted.

"They should be in now, as far as I'm concerned," Thomas said. "They've let a few people in already we all know. It's uncomfortable at this point. I'm sure this year's going to be uncomfortable because we've got two great players going in, but they know. It's no secret. If they didn't do it, they would be stomping and kicking and in interviews saying, 'I didn't do it.'" - via ESPN

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame News Conference

Thomas was a member of three American League (AL) teams from 1990 through 2008. He was a five-time All-Star who won five Gold Glove Awards. He also captured the AL hitting crown in 1997.