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Pete Rose asked difficult questions, mostly cheered in return to Philadelphia

Pete Rose was back in Philadelphia Sunday. (Mandatory Credit: VJ Lovero/SI/Icon SMI)

Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader Pete Rose returned to a baseball stadium in Philadelphia Sunday for the first time since he accepted a permanent ban from the sport for betting on games he was managing in August of 1989.

Rose was present as the Phillies honored the 40th anniversary of the 1980 World Series team, two years later than initially anticipated because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 81-year-old was supposed to be inducted onto the Phillies’ Wall of Fame in August of 2017, but the event was cancelled after it was revealed that a woman had accused him of having a sexual relationship with her beginning when she was “14 or 15” in the 1970s, both in the state of Ohio and outside it. At the time, Rose didn’t deny that the relationship had taken place, but his recollection was that she was 16 at the outset — which is the age of consent in Ohio — and that the two hadn’t had sexual encounters in any other states. Rose turned 30 during the 1971 season.

After the 1980 team took some pictures on the field together and talked with a few current players and coaches prior to the game, they began to walk off the field as a group towards the home dugout. Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer managed to ask Rose about the allegations before he got to the dugout and ultimately away from a group of reporters interested in talking to him:

While Rose did hear some boos in pregame introductions, the majority of fans in attendance greeted him with cheers:

Afterwards, Rose spoke to the media, with the conversation initially focused on being back in Philadelphia with the team he played for from 1979-1983.

“It felt great,” Rose said of the reception he received, which was largely positive. “Phillie fans are great. I loved playing in front of the Phillie fans. It was nice seeing all my teammates again … I have a lot of memories and haven’t seen these guys in a long time. And to be a small part of it today, it was a big deal for me.”

Rose was then asked about the decision five years ago to cancel his Wall of Fame induction ceremony.

“The Phillies, they know what’s right,” Rose said. “I love the Phillie organization, going back to Bill Giles and Ruly Carpenter — that’s who brought me over here in 1979. You know, that just came and went. Anybody would like to be on the Wall of Fame, OK? I don’t know who made that decision, but God bless them. They made it for a reason. I’m still here today for the biggest event in a long time here in Philadelphia. I’m sitting right here talking to you guys. Everything evens out.”

A veteran reporter followed up with Rose about the allegations he’s faced and his pregame exchange with Coffey, and he grew frustrated and suggested that if the reporter wasn’t alive at the time of the alleged events, he wasn’t qualified to ask the question.

“I’m gonna tell you one more time, I’m here for the Phillie fans … I’m here for my teammates … I’m here for the Phillie 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 a damn thing about it, don’t talk about it.”

A Phillies PR representative then ended the availability with Rose.