Pete Rose bet on baseball games as a player

Pete Rose's case for reinstatement may have taken a big hit. A new report from ESPN's William Weinbaum and T.J. Quinn, citing documents that have been sealed for 26 years, suggests Rose bet on baseball games as a player.

In the past, Rose has admitted to gambling on games when he was a manager, but he has remained adamant he's never done so as a player. As recently as April, Rose stuck to that story, telling ESPN's Michael Kay he "never bet as a player: That's a fact."

Documents acquired by "Outside the Lines" say otherwise — that Rose, in fact, gambled on games in 1986, his final season playing for the Cincinnati Reds. The evidence is said to go beyond that listed in the 1989 Dowd report, which led to Rose's banishment from the game.

The gambling records come from a notebook owned by Michael Bertolini, a man who recorded and placed bets for Rose. The notebook was seized during a federal raid in 1989, and has remained under a court-ordered seal since then. The authenticity of the notebook has been verified by two postal inspectors who conducted the raid on Bertolini's house.

John Dowd, the former federal prosecutor who led MLB's investigation was asked by "Outside the Lines" to review the documents, and believes they put an end to the endless debates about Rose's gambling habits.

"This does it. This closes the door," Dowd said.

The new documents do not provide any evidence that Rose gambled against the Reds during 1986, a point he's vehemently denied. They do, however, give a glimpse into Rose's betting habits at that time.

From March to July of that year, he bet on a least one baseball game 30 times. It's possible he gambled on games more often, but some of the records are not legible. On top of baseball, Rose also bet on NBA and college basketball games.

Rose declined comment to "Outside the Lines" through his lawyer, but did offer a general statement concerning his reinstatement.

Since we submitted the application earlier this year, we committed to MLB that we would not comment on specific matters relating to reinstatement. I need to maintain that. To be sure, I'm eager to sit down with Mr. Manfred to address my entire history - the good and the bad -and my long personal journey since baseball. That meeting likely will come sometime after the All-Star break.

For Rose, this new evidence would certainly put a dent in his chances at reinstatement. While there was no guarantee Rose would be allowed back in the game, there have been signs of hope since new commissioner Rob Manfred took charge.

Manfred said he would consider the request, and Rose has already been approved to participate in All-Star Game activities this season. He seemed to be inching his way back into the game before these new documents were uncovered.

A big part of Rose's case for reinstatement has been the fact that he finally came clean about his gambling habits in 2004. If this new evidence proves that Rose was being dishonest during his admission, it's unclear whether the commissioner will take further action.

Rose already has a lifetime ban, but it's possible his participation in the All-Star Game activities could be limited.