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Pete Rose Allegedly Admits To Betting On Baseabll

Aired January 04, 2004 - 18:46   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.


SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: For 14 years, baseball's career hits leader Pete Rose has categorically denied betting on baseball. But time has a way of changing things. Now the former Cincinnati Reds manager has a book coming out. And publish accounts say in it, Rose admits making bets. Mel Antonen is the baseball writer for "USA Today", and he's with us for some insights on the Pete Rose saga. Thanks for joining us.
MEL ANTONEN, USA TODAY: Thank you, good evening.

CHOI: Good evening right back at you. Let's start with what most people in the baseball community think. Did Pate Rose bet on baseball?

ANTONEN: Well supposedly he did. I mean that's what the Commissioner Bart Geomonte (ph) had decided 14 years ago. And there hasn't really been any new evidence to suggest otherwise. A lot of baseball Hall of Famers believe he did. And I'm not sure about the voters in the Baseball Writers Association of America. But basically, there has been no new evidence to show that Pete Rose didn't bet on baseball. So I guess the banishment stands.

CHOI: So is it any surprise that he admits it in this book allegedly?

ANTONEN: Well I don't know if it's a surprise or not. I mean I know Pete Rose wants to get back into baseball in the worst way. Nobody needs baseball more than Pete Rose does. The question is, if Pete Rose admits now, after 14 years that he gambled on baseball after he denied it, the question becomes why should baseball believe him? Why should anybody in the baseball world believe him? But as you know, sometimes people when they do things wrong, they live in denial for a while. And maybe the other side of that is that Pete Rose was in denial. And now he's willing, and ready to admit it. And of course that would give him a whole new freedom. And whether or not it would give him, you know reinstatement into baseball, we'll have to wait and see.

But most people think that if he did admit that he gambled on baseball, it would be a very good positive first step.

CHOI: Isn't the more relevant info not so much of whether he bet or not, but why he did it if he did it?

ANTONEN: Well I'm assuming he did it -- I don't know if it's relevant or not whether why he did or didn't, the fact is, baseball rules have always said that gambling on the game by the players is strictly prohibited.

CHOI: I meant for the fans. Isn't that what they want to know?

ANTONEN: Well I don't think the fans want -- I don't think you want your fans coming to baseball stadiums saying oh my gosh, is this game being fixed? Is there bets on this game? What's the over and under? Baseball has never wanted to be associated with gambling. They want to keep the outcome of the game as pure as possible. And it's always been -- for a century now it's been a belief that if gambling is involved in baseball, that's not good for the sport.

CHOI: Would an admission from Rose though be good for the sport?

ANTONEN: I think that an admission from Rose would go a long way to help his reinstatement. But (UNINTELLIBLE) the baseball commissioner has not decided, or has not say what's going through his thought process. What we do know, is that Bud Seelig (ph) and Pete Rose have met several times in the last year or so to talk about reinstatement into baseball. But both sides are playing their cards close to the vest. Neither is saying much about it. But you get the feeling from talking to people around baseball, that if Pete Rose admits that he gambled, and then shows that his gambling problem is behind him, there's a chance that -- there's a chance that he could be reinstated.

You know we live in a very forgiving and forgetting society. And nobody forgives; no segment of society forgives more than baseball does. So I think to answer your question, it would be a very positive first step if Pete Rose admitted that.

CHOI: Well, Mel we shall see if he did admit it in his book. One thing is for sure; all this publicity will make a lot of book sales I'm sure for him. Mel Antonen from "USA Today" thanks for joining us.

ANTONEN: Thank you.

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 - 18:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: For 14 years, baseball's career hits leader Pete Rose has categorically denied betting on baseball. But time has a way of changing things. Now the former Cincinnati Reds manager has a book coming out. And publish accounts say in it, Rose admits making bets. Mel Antonen is the baseball writer for "USA Today", and he's with us for some insights on the Pete Rose saga. Thanks for joining us.
MEL ANTONEN, USA TODAY: Thank you, good evening.

CHOI: Good evening right back at you. Let's start with what most people in the baseball community think. Did Pate Rose bet on baseball?

ANTONEN: Well supposedly he did. I mean that's what the Commissioner Bart Geomonte (ph) had decided 14 years ago. And there hasn't really been any new evidence to suggest otherwise. A lot of baseball Hall of Famers believe he did. And I'm not sure about the voters in the Baseball Writers Association of America. But basically, there has been no new evidence to show that Pete Rose didn't bet on baseball. So I guess the banishment stands.

CHOI: So is it any surprise that he admits it in this book allegedly?

ANTONEN: Well I don't know if it's a surprise or not. I mean I know Pete Rose wants to get back into baseball in the worst way. Nobody needs baseball more than Pete Rose does. The question is, if Pete Rose admits now, after 14 years that he gambled on baseball after he denied it, the question becomes why should baseball believe him? Why should anybody in the baseball world believe him? But as you know, sometimes people when they do things wrong, they live in denial for a while. And maybe the other side of that is that Pete Rose was in denial. And now he's willing, and ready to admit it. And of course that would give him a whole new freedom. And whether or not it would give him, you know reinstatement into baseball, we'll have to wait and see.

But most people think that if he did admit that he gambled on baseball, it would be a very good positive first step.

CHOI: Isn't the more relevant info not so much of whether he bet or not, but why he did it if he did it?

ANTONEN: Well I'm assuming he did it -- I don't know if it's relevant or not whether why he did or didn't, the fact is, baseball rules have always said that gambling on the game by the players is strictly prohibited.

CHOI: I meant for the fans. Isn't that what they want to know?

ANTONEN: Well I don't think the fans want -- I don't think you want your fans coming to baseball stadiums saying oh my gosh, is this game being fixed? Is there bets on this game? What's the over and under? Baseball has never wanted to be associated with gambling. They want to keep the outcome of the game as pure as possible. And it's always been -- for a century now it's been a belief that if gambling is involved in baseball, that's not good for the sport.

CHOI: Would an admission from Rose though be good for the sport?

ANTONEN: I think that an admission from Rose would go a long way to help his reinstatement. But (UNINTELLIBLE) the baseball commissioner has not decided, or has not say what's going through his thought process. What we do know, is that Bud Seelig (ph) and Pete Rose have met several times in the last year or so to talk about reinstatement into baseball. But both sides are playing their cards close to the vest. Neither is saying much about it. But you get the feeling from talking to people around baseball, that if Pete Rose admits that he gambled, and then shows that his gambling problem is behind him, there's a chance that -- there's a chance that he could be reinstated.

You know we live in a very forgiving and forgetting society. And nobody forgives; no segment of society forgives more than baseball does. So I think to answer your question, it would be a very positive first step if Pete Rose admitted that.

CHOI: Well, Mel we shall see if he did admit it in his book. One thing is for sure; all this publicity will make a lot of book sales I'm sure for him. Mel Antonen from "USA Today" thanks for joining us.

ANTONEN: Thank you.

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