Pete Rose was honored and cheered alongside the 1980 World Series team on Sunday at the annual Phillies alumni day, but things turned controversial when a female reporter asked him about a 2017 accusation.
Pete Rose honored with 1980 World Series team on Phillies alumni day
On Sunday, at the annual alumni weekend, Philadelphia honored its world champion 1980s Phillies team, bringing Pete Rose back despite his ban from major league baseball for betting on games.
Fans gave Rose a strong ovation during his first appearance in Philadelphia since his lifetime ban from the MLB in 1989, NBC Sports reported, posting a video of the moment.
Comments from the fans were generally positive and forgiving of the 17-time All-Star and the MLB's all-time hits leader with 4,256.
Pete Rose's ban from baseball
In 1989, Rose admitted to betting on major league games during his time as a manager for the Cincinnati Reds. An investigation found he had bet on the Reds between 1985-1987, The New York Post reported.
The MLB imposed a lifetime ban on Rose, which meant he was ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rose reapplied for reinstatement in 2015 but was rejected by the MLB Commissioner.
Female reporter stirs up controversy by bringing up 2017 allegations against Rose
Pete Rose's ban from baseball is not his only controversy. In 2017, he was accused of having an illegal relationship with a minor. Those accusations led the Phillies to cancel the inclusion of Rose on the team's 2017 Wall of Fame induction a week before it was set to take place, NBC Sports reported.
In 2017, an unidentified woman claimed in sworn court testimony that she had a relationship with Rose when she was 14 years old and he was in his early 30s. For his part, Rose acknowledged that the two had a relationship but he says it did not occur until she was sixteen, which was the age of consent in Ohio at the time, USA Today reported. Rose was in his mid-30s and married with two kids during the time of the alleged misconduct.
In Philadelphia on Sunday, a reporter brought up the allegations to Rose, and his comments have stirred further controversy online.
A female reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Alex Coffey, asked Rose what he would say to people who felt his presence sent a negative message to women, NBC Sports reported.
"I'm not here to talk about that, sorry about that," Rose replied. "It was 55 years ago, babe."
The reporter continued pushing Rose on the issue.
"I'm here for the Philly fans," Rose said. "I'm here for my teammates. I'm here for the Philly organization."
"Who cares what happened 50 years ago?" Rose continued. "You weren't even born so you shouldn't be talking about it because you weren't born. And if you don't know a damn thing about it, you shouldn't talk about it."