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CNN Live Sunday

Rose Admits He Bet on Baseball

Aired January 04, 2004 - 11:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he was arguably among the best baseball players of his generation and a gambling problem got him barred from the game for life. But Pete Rose never publicly admitted that he bet on professional baseball, perhaps until now. Steve Overmyer of "CNN Sports" has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BART GIAMATTI, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COMMISSIONER: I am confronted by the factual record of Mr. Dowd, and on the basis of that, yes, I have concluded he bet on baseball.

PETE ROSE, BASEBALL PLAYER: Well, regardless of what the commissioner said today, I did not bet on baseball.

STEVE OVERMYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After 14 years of denying he had bet on baseball, it appears Pete Rose is changing his stance. According to Saturday's edition of "The Philadelphia Inquirer," in a new autobiography entitled "My Prison Without Bars," Rose reportedly admits he bet on games while managing the Cincinnati reds.

In 1989, after an extensive investigation into Rose's gambling habit, John Dowd, major league's lead investigator concluded that Rose had committed the game's cardinal sin. He had bet on major league games.

JOHN DOWD, LEAD INVESTIGATOR, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: In this case we had the manager of the Cincinnati Reds indebted to organized crime in New York for $500,000 while he was managing the team. The game cannot tolerate such leverage on a player or manager or anybody who participates in the game.

OVERMYER: Rose accepted a lifetime ban after signing an agreement with former commissioner Bart Giamatti that his conduct was detrimental to the sport. The agreement, however, did not require Rose to admit that he bet on baseball.

There have been reports over the last year of secret meetings between Rose and baseball officials in an effort to gain reinstatement. Rose has had the support of Hall of Famer and former teammate Mike Schmidt, as well as baseball fans across the country who seem to be willing to forgive "Charlie Hustle" for his transgressions.

It's been widely speculated that Rose would only be accepted back into the sport if he were willing to finally admit that he gambled on baseball. Rose's goal is to reach an agreement with the commissioner's office that would remove him from baseball's permanently ineligible list that would undoubtedly open the door to the Hall of Fame for the game's all-time hits leader. Less certain, however, is whether reinstatement would allow Rose to manage again, which is something he has said he would like to pursue.

For CNN Sports, I'm Steve Overmyer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 4, 2004 - 11:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he was arguably among the best baseball players of his generation and a gambling problem got him barred from the game for life. But Pete Rose never publicly admitted that he bet on professional baseball, perhaps until now. Steve Overmyer of "CNN Sports" has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BART GIAMATTI, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COMMISSIONER: I am confronted by the factual record of Mr. Dowd, and on the basis of that, yes, I have concluded he bet on baseball.

PETE ROSE, BASEBALL PLAYER: Well, regardless of what the commissioner said today, I did not bet on baseball.

STEVE OVERMYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After 14 years of denying he had bet on baseball, it appears Pete Rose is changing his stance. According to Saturday's edition of "The Philadelphia Inquirer," in a new autobiography entitled "My Prison Without Bars," Rose reportedly admits he bet on games while managing the Cincinnati reds.

In 1989, after an extensive investigation into Rose's gambling habit, John Dowd, major league's lead investigator concluded that Rose had committed the game's cardinal sin. He had bet on major league games.

JOHN DOWD, LEAD INVESTIGATOR, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: In this case we had the manager of the Cincinnati Reds indebted to organized crime in New York for $500,000 while he was managing the team. The game cannot tolerate such leverage on a player or manager or anybody who participates in the game.

OVERMYER: Rose accepted a lifetime ban after signing an agreement with former commissioner Bart Giamatti that his conduct was detrimental to the sport. The agreement, however, did not require Rose to admit that he bet on baseball.

There have been reports over the last year of secret meetings between Rose and baseball officials in an effort to gain reinstatement. Rose has had the support of Hall of Famer and former teammate Mike Schmidt, as well as baseball fans across the country who seem to be willing to forgive "Charlie Hustle" for his transgressions.

It's been widely speculated that Rose would only be accepted back into the sport if he were willing to finally admit that he gambled on baseball. Rose's goal is to reach an agreement with the commissioner's office that would remove him from baseball's permanently ineligible list that would undoubtedly open the door to the Hall of Fame for the game's all-time hits leader. Less certain, however, is whether reinstatement would allow Rose to manage again, which is something he has said he would like to pursue.

For CNN Sports, I'm Steve Overmyer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com