Pete Rose declines comment on ESPN betting report

Pete Rose refused to comment when asked about an ESPN report published last month that he bet on baseball in 1986 while playing for the Cincinnati Reds.

SI Wire | Jul 3, 2015

Pete Rose declines comment on ESPN betting report /

Pete Rose refused to comment when asked about a June ESPN report that he bet on baseball in 1986 while playing for the Cincinnati Reds.

Documents obtained by ESPN’s Outside the Lines show copies of notebook pages seized from the home of Michael Bertolini, a former Rose associate, by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in October 1989.

The documents show that baseball’s all-time hit king placed bets on at least one Major League team on 30 different days, and on 21 of those days he bet on baseball and on the Reds, including on games in which he played.

When asked about the report during an appearance on Fox Sports 1 on Thursday, Rose said he couldn’t comment because he plans to speak with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred later this year.

“I’m going to keep my end of the bargain,” Rose said on the America’s Pregame program. “I’m sure those questions will come about when I meet with the commissioner.

“As of today, speaking to you, I’d love to give you all the information, but I’ll keep my word and keep my comments to ‘No comment.’”

Rose, 74, is still hoping his lifetime ban from baseball will be overturned. He received the suspension in August 1989 after an investigation by Major League Baseball concluded he had bet on Reds games while managing the team.

Rose applied for reinstatement in 1997, but former commissioner Bud Selig never ruled on the matter. Rose applied again after Manfred replaced Selig in January.

Rose eventually admitted in 2004 to gambling on baseball as a manager but has said he never bet on baseball as a player.

- Scooby Axson

GALLERY: RARE PHOTOS OF PETE ROSE

Rare Photos of Pete Rose

Here's a look back at Pete Rose, who made his Major League debut on April 8, 1963. Rose, a switch hitter, is the all-time Major League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053) and outs (10,328). On Monday, June 22, 2015, ESPN revealed documents that showed Rose bet on baseball games as a player--something that he had always denied.

1965

Pete Rose broke into the big leagues in 1963 and became a star in 1965, when he led the league in hits (209) and at-bats (670), finishing sixth in the NL MVP race.

1968

Rose started the 1968 season with a 22-game hit streak and never slowed down, winning the first of three batting titles with an average of .335.

1972

Pete Rose and Johnny Bench pose in the dugout during spring training in Tampa, Fla.

1972

Rose shows off his trademark hustle during a spring training drill. By the start of the 1972 season, Rose was entering his 10th year with the Reds. He had also established himself as one of the game's best hitters, maintaining an average above .300 for seven straight years.

1975

Rose poses during a SI cover shoot after leading the Reds to a World Series championship.

1975

Rose was the backbone of the Big Red Machine due to his hustle (including head-first slides) and his consistency at the plate.

1976

Rose with Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan of "The Big Red Machine."

1976

Rose shows off his World Series ring outside the Plaza Hotel in New York. The 1976 Reds swept the Yankees 4-0 in the World Series and became the only team since the expansion of the playoffs (in 1969) to go undefeated in the postseason.

1978

Rose is honored at Shea Stadium after breaking the National League record for most consecutive games with a hit (44).

1978

Rose fans clamor for his autograph.

1978

Rose was one of Cincinnati's most popular athletes, as evident by his bulging mailbox at Riverfront Stadium.

1979

In 1979, the Phillies made Rose the highest-paid athlete in team sports when they signed him to a four-year, $3.2 million contract as a free agent. In Philadelphia, Rose joined a core of Larry Bowa, Mike Schmidt and Manny Trillo. The Phillies would go on to win the World Series the following season.

1979

Rose tweaks the chin of six-year-old Mark McGraw as some of the Phillies and their sons got together during a spring training workout at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla. From left are Petey Rose, Mark McGraw, Aaron Boone and Brett Boone. Pitcher Tug McGraw (left) and catcher Bob Boone stand above the group.

1979

"Charlie Hustle" in action with the Phillies during a game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

1983

Rose and son Pete Jr. sit in the Phillies dugout. Though the Phillies reached the World Series in 1983, the season was a disappointment for Rose, who batted just .245 and lost his role as everyday starter.

1984

In 1984, Rose was given his release from the Phillies after he refused to accept a reserve role. He was signed to a one-year deal by the Expos.

1984

Rose tries on a Padres hat for size during a portrait session early in the 1984 season.

1984

Despite his advanced age (43), Rose stayed in great shape and was traded to the Reds for infielder Tom Lawless in August 1984. He batted .365 for the remainder of the season.

1984

After being traded to the Reds, Rose took on the role of player-manager and led the team to a 19-22 record the remainder of the season.

1984

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

Rose takes notes before a Reds-Dodgers game at Riverfront Stadium.

1985

Rose plays around with his one-year-old son, Tyler, before a game. By 1985, Rose had divorced his first wife (Kaarolyn Englehardt) and married Carol J. Woliung. The pair had Tyler shortly after their marriage.

1985

Rose and Carol Woliung play with Tyler at their home in Cincinnati.

1985

Rose lets the world know that he is No. 1 after connecting for his 4,192nd career base hit, breaking Ty Cobb's all-time record.

1986

Rose chats with Tommy Lasorda before a Reds-Dodgers game at Riverfront Stadium.

1989

Despite his success on the field, Rose is best known for his banishment from baseball for gambling. The ruling came after the 225-page Dowd Report, which showed that Rose bet on Reds game while serving as the team's manager. Rose steadfastly denied these charges until 2004, when he published his autobiography,

My Prison Without Bars,

and confirmed the charges.

1999

Rose found fame in the WWE, where he made several cameos and "feuded" with Kane, wrestling's version of The Big Red Machine. In 2004, Rose was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame.

1999

Pete Rose tips his cap after being announced to the MLB All-Century team. It was Rose's first appearance at an official baseball event since he was banished from the game in 1988.

2004

Rose autographs his book Pete Rose My Prison Without Bars during an appearance at Bookends Bookstore in Ridgewood, N.J. The publication of the book marked the first time Rose admitted publicly to betting on baseball games and other sports while playing for and managing the Reds.

2005

Rose's quest to gain entry into the Hall of Fame has been an ongoing plotline. In this poster, Pony (a company Rose endorses) asks the question on the minds of many Rose fans.

2005

Rose poses with Carol Woliung and daughter Chea at a concert in in Los Angeles.

2010

Rose, Verne Troyer and Michael Clarke Duncan at Steve Garvey's Celebrity Softball Game for ALS.

2010

Rose with his girlfriend, Playboy model Kiana Kim.

2012

Rose sits in the crowd during the boxing fights, including Andre Ward vs. Chad Dawson, at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, Calif.

2013

Rose tips his cap to the crowd as he walks onto the field during ceremonies honoring the starting eight of the 1975 and '76 World Champion Cincinnati Reds following a game between the Reds and Dodgers in Cincinnati.

2013

Rose hugs former teammate, Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan, as their team is honored in Cincinnati. PETE ROSE: An American Dilemma Book by SI's Kostya Kennedy

Published Jul 3, 2015

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