[bigboydan]

This guy has got some balls saying this stuff about roid users don't he. I mean what Rose did was a 1,000x's worse than what those guys did.

NEW YORK -- Pete Rose thinks players who use steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs are "making a mockery" of baseball.


The career hits leader, banned by the sport for gambling, weighed in on the Mitchell Report in an interview with Dennis Miller that was slated to air Wednesday night on VERSUS.

Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte were among the big stars implicated in last week's report by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

Clemens denied the allegations. Pettitte acknowledged last weekend that he used human growth hormone twice while rehabbing from an injury in 2002.

"I never thought anybody would make me look like an altar boy," Rose said.

"I've been suspended 18 years for betting on my own team to win," he added. "I was wrong ... but these guys today, if the allegations are true, they're making a mockery of the game."

Rose was banished from baseball for life in 1989 for betting on games while he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds, his former team. He denied the gambling allegations until 2004, when he came clean in his autobiography. He is not eligible for the Hall of Fame.

"If you're going to put these guys that supposedly did steroids into the Hall of Fame, I mean I've got to get a shot somewhere," he said.

Rose finished with 4,256 hits, breaking Ty Cobb's career record.

And if steroids were prevalent in his day?

"I would have got 5,000 hits," he said.

[BuddyBear]

well Rose's accomplishment as a player came through hard work. What he did afterwards is a different story. I think he has a very valid point....

[tacomax]

Did he not bet when he was playing for as well as managing the Reds?

If betting on baseball wasn't banned when he did it (like steroids and HGH weren't banned when X players did it) then he has a very good point. Otherwise, not.

[tblues2005]

As a player Rose didn't do this stuff and I think what he did on gambling on his own sport was bad but doing steroids is far worse though I believe.

[VegasDave]

Gambling is a matter of morals, ethics, and disrespect to the game.

Steroid use is outright cheating.

[jon13009]

I wonder if Pete Rose would have taken steroids if he was in the same situation as Barry Bonds.

My guess would be : Yes.

Pete wanted to win and win at all costs. Who knows what Pete was taking to keep the edge.

Who says Pete didn't take steroids or any other illegal substance anyway? Was there any testing for anything when Pete was playing?

What were the favorite drugs at the time? Amphetamines....?

Besides, if Pete played in the steroid era, and he claimed to not have taken them, I am sure he would be lying anyway.

Pete can say what he wants, but who wants to believe him?

[Willie Bee]

I wonder if Pete Rose would have taken steroids if he was in the same situation as Barry Bonds.

My guess would be : Yes.

I think he already answered that at the end of the piece...

And if steroids were prevalent in his day?

"I would have got 5,000 hits," he said.

[bigboydan]

I'm not totally convinced he didn't take roids. They were available way back in 70's.