Posted on 08/02/2017 11:57:56 AM PDT by Gamecock
The Phillies will not enshrine Pete Rose on the team's wall of fame at Citizens Bank Ballpark this weekend, canceling the ceremony honoring baseball's all-time hits leader only days before it was scheduled to take place.
The team's announcement was prefaced with "Due to recent events ," an apparent reference to news this week, via court documents in Ohio, that Rose acknowledged having sex with a female who was younger than 16, though the former MLB star and manager claimed to believe she was of legal age at the time of the extramarital affair in the 1970s while he was with the Reds.
"Due to recent events, the Phillies and Pete Rose have decided Pete will not participate the Phillies Alumni Weekend festivities at Citizens Bank Ballpark," the team said in a statement.
Phillies fans had voted for Rose to be honored as part of the team's annual Alumni Weekend, despite the fact he is on MLB's permanently ineligible list and, thus, banned from Baseball Hall of Fame induction, for betting on baseball.
The wording of Rose's quote in Wednesday's news release appears to indicate that while the Phillies said the decision was made "with" Rose, it likely was a unilateral move on the team's part and he acquiesced.
"While I am truly honored that the Phillies fans voted for me to be this year's Wall of Fame inductee, I am concerned that other matters will overshadow the goodwill associated with Alumni Weekend," Rose said in the statement, "and I agree with the decision not to participate."
The Rose bobblehead that was scheduled to be given away Friday will not be distributed, and in lieu of honoring Rose on Saturday, the Phillies will instead pay tribute to past wall of fame inductees.
Fans with tickets to Friday's or Saturday's games can exchange them for another 2017 game or get a refund, the team said.
Never liked Rose even when he was with the Phillies and I grew up with the Whiz Kids
Charlie Hustler
Rose has always been a crappy human being.
Give it up Repete...Give it up.
Apparently, baseball was the only thing Rose was remotely good or decent at.
Pete Rose is an idiot.
Ah, ok, Morganna has an alibi. Doubt she’d claim to be older than she is.
Pete Rose played the game the way it should be played. He belongs in the HOF. Period. All the other stuff is things for people to get upset over and convince themselves that he is unworthy for Cooperstown.
At least he wasn’t betting on sports.
Pete Rose vs Bill Clinton.
As are the majority of professional athletes. They are exactly why I tell my kids to not make heroes out of them.
OMG this happened in 1973 give me a break. These women are just as gross.
I like Rose growing up, but since he was caught cheating, I agree with MLB on the issue of not putting him in the HoF.
I know that might run counter to some of my fellow conservatives, but to me that is the right way to go. He shouldn’t have done it, and there is a price to pay.
Benedict Arnold was a skilled and heroic military officer ... all the other stuff is things for people to get upset over.
I understood he was caught gambling, but specifically not cheating.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.