Pete Rose and his attorney have denied "malicious" statutory rape accusations aired by the man whose investigation led to the hit king's banishment from baseball.
John Dowd, the lead investigator in the 1989 probe that concluded Rose bet on baseball, claims he was told by former Rose associate Michael Bertolini — whose notebook showed Rose bet on baseball as a player — that Rose committed statutory rape of young girls during his playing and/or managerial career, NJ.com reports.
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In an interview with West Chester, Pa., radio station WCHE, which had not been revealed until Thursday, Dowd said, "Bertolini told us that not only did he run 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."
After hearing of the "shocking" allegations, Rose told NJ.com he believed Dowd and Bertolini were making false accusations.
"What's Dowd going to talk about next? Something from 50 years ago when I was 24 years old?" the 74-year-old Rose said. "I don't know why anybody would believe that. It's unbelievable. That's the best one so far.
"Where was my family all of this time in spring training? I never went to spring training without my family except for (my) first year when I was a rookie. It's shocking."
Ray Genco, Rose's attorney, also shot down the remarks.
"(The) statements Mr. Dowd made during that and potentially other interviews (too ugly to repeat) do illicit (sic) a response," Genco wrote in an e-mail to NJ.com. "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."
While MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he will meet with Rose this summer to discuss possible reinstatement, Dowd, the author of baseball’s most infamous report, remains adamant that Rose should never be allowed back in the game.
"I don't think Commissioner Manfred is a fool," Dowd said. "I think he'll decide this thing the right way."