Former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose has filed a defamation lawsuit against former baseball investigator John Dowd over rape claims, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.
The lawsuit stems from an interview Dowd gave last August in which he suggested Rose was sexually involved with underage girls during his playing career, according to NJ.com.
In that interview Dowd says Rose’s gambling associate Michael Bertolini “ran” underage girls to him while Rose was at spring training.
“Michael 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.”
Shortly after Dowd made those comments, Rose denied the claims.
Rose’s lawyer Ray Genco said they decided to file the suit against Dowd because his comments were “deeply offensive,” according to Today’s Knuckleball.
“We filed because Dowd’s statements are false and deeply offensive. Regardless of what John Dowd thinks of Pete Rose as a person, a ballplayer, or even a gambler, none of that justifies Dowd’s ugly accusations of pedophilia. Regardless of what you think of Pete … it’s not open season to throw reckless, defamatory statements at him,” Rose lawyer Ray Genco said.
Dowd played a crucial role in Rose’s lifetime ban in 1989. At the time, Dowd was the lead investigator hired by baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti to look into whether Rose bet on baseball during his career. Dowd found evidence Rose placed bets while managing the Reds, which prompted Rose to accept a lifetime ban from the game. He has applied for reinstatement in recent years.
Rose’s most recent attempt at reinstatement ended in December, when current commissioner Rob Manfred rejected his pleas to return to the game. Manfred did, however, allow Rose to participate in All-Star game activities last season, when Cincinnati hosted the event.
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