Former federal prosecutor John Dowd, who was the head of MLB’s investigation into Pete Rose’s gambling, dropped a massive bombshell on an interview last month that just popped up in recent days. In the interview for West Chester, PA’s WCHE, Dowd revealed that former Rose associate Michael Bertolini told him and his investigative team that Bertolini ran 12-14 year old girls for Rose during Spring Training.
Here are the relevant quotes from Dowd, as transcribed by NJ.com. The question posed to him was whether or not he found Rose to be a likable person.
“Ah, no. I don’t. I’ve been asked that question whether he had any moral bearings at all and the answer is no. There’s a lot of other activity. … 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. So he’s just not the kind of person that I find very attractive. He’s a street guy.
“Did I get along with him? Yes. If I’d had gotten him alone do I think could have brought him around? Yes. He knew we had him. When I played the tapes for him and also showed him the betting slips and fingerprints, he turned green and gray. I mean, I thought he was going to go over in that disposition I took of him. He knew he was a goner. And then he chisels. He gets this book and defrauds the publisher a million bucks. The guy only sold 40,000 copies, so he lost a million. He says, ‘I wanna come clean.’ He didn’t come clean.”
Rose predictably denied the allegations when speaking to NJ.com.
“Oh, my God!” the 74-year-old Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies great said while driving from California to Las Vegas. “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.
“What level are they going to reach to next? What’s Dowd going to talk about next? Something from 50 years ago when I was 24 years old? I don’t know why anybody would believe that. It’s unbelievable. That’s the best one so far.”
Rose’s attorney, Ray Genco, also had some strong words for Dowd in an email to NJ.com on Thursday.
“Today we learned that during a July podcast Mr. Dowd communicated that Pete Rose had no moral bearings,” Genco wrote. “Though I disagree, we maintain our commitment not to respond publicly to topics relating to Pete’s pending application for reinstatement.
“However other statements Mr. Dowd made during that and potentially other interviews, (too ugly to repeat) do elicit a response. 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.”
Dowd’s allegations are obviously disgusting, and if there’s any truth to them, Rose deserves all the scorn and vitriol that the world can manage. But if they’re true, why is Dowd just talking about them now, 26 years after releasing his report?
Not to immediately dismiss his allegations, but it seems odd for these to first surface with Rose back in the spotlight due to Rob Manfred considering reinstating him on the heels of Rose’s participation in the pregame festivities of the All-Star Game. Either Dowd held them under his vest for more than two decades, which is pretty gross considering it would have an effect on the ability for Rose to potentially be prosecuted for other crimes, or he’s making them up, which would be incredibly spiteful. Whatever the truth is, Dowd doesn’t really look good, and Rose’s reputation has taken another hit, whether the allegations are true or not.
[NJ.com]
