Pete Rose has already been branded a gambler and liar and has been banned from MLB for life, but now he is facing a much more serious and disturbing allegation.
During an interview with 1520 WCHE in West Chester, Pa. on July 14, John Dowd, the man who investigated Rose for the gambling accusations that led to his lifetime ban in 1989, claimed he was told that Rose used to regularly commit statutory rape during his playing and managerial days.
Dowd was asked on the show whether he finds Rose likable and whether he feels he can see inside Rose’s soul. He said no and included information told to him by Rose associate Michael Bertolini as evidence.
“I’ve been asked that question whether [Rose] had any moral bearings at all, and the answer is no. There’s a lot of other activity. … Michael Bertolini told us that he not only ran bets, but he ran young girls for him down in spring training. Ages 12-14. Isn’t that lovely? So that’s statutory rape every time you do that. So he’s just not the kind of person that I find very attractive. He’s a street guy,” Dowd said on the show.
The interview came around the same time Rose made an appearance at the MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati last month. In late June, new written records showed that Rose bet on baseball as a player.
Rose vehemently denied the allegations when contacted by NJ Advance Media about them.
“Oh, my God!” Rose said in response. “Where was my family all of this time in spring training? I never went to spring training without my family except for first year when I was a rookie. It’s shocking.”
Rose’s attorney Ray Genco also denied the allegations.
“The statements were malicious, untrue and are categorically denied. They impact Pete’s family and I respect his instinct to immediately protect them. I’d ask any person or entity associated with these statements to fully and immediately retract them,” Genco wrote in an email to NJ.com.
Rose denied for years ever betting on baseball. He finally admitted in 1997 that he bet on baseball as a manager. Now evidence shows he also bet on the game while playing.
