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81-year-old Pete Rose received a standing ovation after his introduction Sunday during a celebration of the Phillies' 1980 World Series championship team. He appeared along side other players.
Rose made his first appearance on the playing field in Philadelphia since receiving a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball in August 1989. He agreed to the ban after an investigation for MLB by lawyer John Dowd found that Rose placed numerous bets on the Cincinnati Reds to win from 1985-87 while playing for and managing the team.
It was not lost on a number of Twitter users that Major League Baseball now partners with sports betting firms like DraftKings. A line on the Phillies game was also readily available and promoted by media outlets carrying the game.
*cheated. If we are gonna celebrate the group of steroid cheaters surely Pete Rose should be in the HOF especially today with @MLB partnering with @DraftKings
— ITFDB (@nunya780) August 7, 2022
Love Pete Rose .Time to put him in Cooperstown #MLB pic.twitter.com/Qpnk0VF1xO
— pittsburghpirateguru (@harvardplayer) August 7, 2022
The decision to include Rose in the alumni celebration was controversial and there were even a few boos heard during his introduction, but fans were mostly excited.
"I think he got a raw deal. He played good for us," Harry Leibrecht from Northeast Philadelphia told the local Action News affiliate.
"I don't have a problem with him being banned from baseball because it took him such a long time to finally fess up and be honest about betting on baseball," said Keith Rhine from Ridley Township, who was wearing a Pete Rose shirt and said he is still a fan of the player.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
