Pete Rose returned to the field in Philadelphia on Sunday and refused to address the sexual assault allegation made against him that led the Phillies to scrap plans to honor him five years ago.
The 81-year-old also completely dismissed Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer when asked about the message his presence in the game sent to women.
“No, I’m not here to talk about that,” Rose replied to Coffey. “I’m sorry about that. That was 55 years ago, baby.”
Rose spoke with Coffey again after the ceremony, which honored the Phillies’ 1980 World Series team. This ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Rose approached Coffey and asked if he had offended her with her comments while claiming she was trying to “attack him.” He then offered to “sign 1,000 baseballs” for her before finally saying “I’m sorry” at the end of the conversation.
Rose was accused of having a relationship with a girl in Cincinnati for several years beginning in 1973. The woman said her relationship with Rose began before she turned 16, which was under age of consent at that time in Ohio.
“Sometime after that, Pete Rose and I started seeing each other at a house in Cincinnati,” the woman said in a 2017 affidavit, via the Inquirer. “It was at that house that, before my 16th birthday, Pete Rose began a sexual relationship with me. This sexual relationship lasted for several years. Pete Rose also met me in places outside of Ohio where we had sex” .
Rose also said in court documents, according to the report, that he had sex with the woman but believed she was 16 at the time. Rose was 32 in 1973 and married with two children.
However, Rose cannot be charged with statutory rape now, as the statute of limitations has passed.
The Phillies addressed their decision to invite Rose to the ceremony last month.
“In planning the 1980 reunion, we consulted with Pete’s colleagues about his inclusion,” the team said on July 24. “Everyone wants Pete to be part of the festivities as there would be no trophy in 1980 without him. Also, the club received permission from the stewards to invite Pete as a member of the Championship team.
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Rose was banned from baseball for life because of a gambling scandal. His appearance on Sunday marked his first time back on the pitch since serving a lifetime ban.
Rose was pressed by the Associated Press about her comments to Coffey and doubled down.
“I’ll tell you one more time. I’m here for the Philly fans. I’m here for my teammates,” he said. “I’m here for the Phillies organization. And who cares what happened 50 years ago. You weren’t even born. So you shouldn’t be talking about it, because you weren’t born. If you don’t know anything , don’t talk about it.”
The Phillies also talked about Rose’s presence again on Sunday. They also said there are no plans to induct him into their Wall of Fame
“We are not condoning, forgiving or forgetting Pete’s behavior,” a team spokesman said via the Inquirer. “We understand that some people will criticize our decision to induct Pete. We understand the basis of that criticism because it is precisely that basis that caused us to immediately rescind Pete’s recognition on the Phillies Wall of Fame when the allegations came to light publicly just six days before Pete’s scheduled induction.The Wall of Fame is a uniquely personal honor, and for the Phillies, his past behavior off the field undermines his baseball achievements, which would otherwise result in this award”.
Pete Rose completely dismissed all questions about his allegations of statutory rape on Sunday. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)