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sports Monday 8 august 2022
Rose dismisses sexual misconduct questions at Phillies fete

By DAN GELSTON The woman, identified as (Cooperstown), I always
AP Sports Writer Jane Doe in 2017, said Rose thought he should be there.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pete called her in 1973, when You can write anything
Rose dismissed questions she was 14 or 15, and they there, but he was the great-
Sunday about his first ap- began a sexual relationship est hitter in the league. Put
pearance on the field in in Cincinnati that lasted his name up and put he did
Philadelphia since the fran- several years. She also al- this, got punished for what-
chise scrapped 2017 plans leged Rose met her in loca- ever."
to honor him because of tions outside Ohio for sex. Last month, the Phillies de-
a woman's claim she had Rose's lawyer had said the fended the decision to in-
a sexual relationship with woman's claims were un- vite Rose to participate in
baseball's hit king when she verified. the ceremony.
was a minor. Rose acknowledged in "In planning the 1980 re-
"It was 55 years ago, babe," 2017 that he did have a re- union, we consulted with
Rose told a female base- lationship with the woman, Former Philadelphia Phillies player Pete Rose walks onto the Pete's teammates about
field for an alumni day event before a baseball game between
ball writer for The Philadel- but he said it started when the Phillies and the Washington Nationals, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, his inclusion," the Phillies
phia Inquirer. she was 16. He also said in Philadelphia. said in a statement. "Every-
Rose, though, had no trou- they never had sex outside Associated Press one wants Pete to be part
ble reminiscing about the Ohio. of the festivities since there
1980 World Series champi- At the time, Rose was in his Series champions Bob cause he tested positive for would be no trophy in 1980
on Phillies team — it was 42 mid-30s and was married Boone, Greg Luzinski and COVID-19. without him. In addition,
years ago, Pete — that was with two kids. Larry Bowa — honored "We've been doing it for a the club received permis-
honored before Sunday's Rose was among many for the 1980 team. Mike while, coming back every sion from the Commission-
game. former great Phillies — in- Schmidt sent a videotaped year, and to mix Pete in, I er's Office to invite Pete as
After initially getting booed cluding Hall of Famer Steve message and missed the thought, was very special," a member of the champi-
lightly, the 81-year-old Rose Carlton, and fellow World alumni day festivities be- Boone said. "When I go to onship team."q
received a standing ova-
tion from Phillies fans —
many not even born or too
young to remember base-
ball's hit king in his prime —
when he walked onto the
Citizens Bank Park field for
the first time since he re-
ceived a lifetime ban from
Major League Baseball in
August 1989.
"They made me feel real
good today," Rose said of
the cheers. "I don't want to
say I expected it. I guess I
did expect it from Philly
fans. That's the way they
are. They love their sports
heroes."
Rose's already stained rep-
utation suffered another
blow in 2017 when the Phil-
lies called off a planned
induction into the team's
Wall of Fame because of
the sexual misconduct ac-
cusations levied against
him. Rose brusquely re-
sponded to the reporter's
question before the game
— and later apologized to
her following Sunday's cer-
emony after initially saying,
" will you forgive me if I sign
1,000 baseballs for you?" —
and was just as combative
on the topic after the pre-
game celebration.
"I'm going to tell you one
more time: I'm here for the
Philly fans, I'm here for my
teammates, OK," Rose said.
"I'm here for the Philly or-
ganization and who cares
what happened 50 years
ago."