Pete Rose gambles on Reds while making Ohio's first legal sports bet originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Pete Rose bet on baseball again. But this time, he didn't break any rules.
Rose placed Ohio's first sports bet shortly after it became legal in the state at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day.
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The 81-year-old Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader who received a lifetime ban after betting on the sport while managing the Reds, approached the window at the Hard Rock Sportsbook in Cincinnati and bet on the Reds to win the World Series.
The Reds went 62-100 last season, so, it's a long shot to say the least.
“I don’t know a damn thing about odds,” he told Spectrum News after placing the bet. “Go Reds! Go Bengals!”
Legal sports betting was signed into law in December 2021 by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Rose was a very fitting choice to make the first wager.
Rose had 4,256 hits over his 24-year career, 19 of which were spent with the Reds. Rose also played five seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and part of one season for the Montreal Expos.
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The 1973 National League MVP and 17-time All-Star won three batting titles and three World Series championships. He spent parts of seven seasons as manager of the Reds, compiling a 412-373 record. He received a lifetime ban from baseball in 1989 after an investigation determined he bet on games while managing the Reds.
He has since been denied entry into the Hall of Fame. Rose has repeatedly applied for reinstatement with MLB in hopes of having the ban lifted in order to be enshrined. He wrote a letter to commissioner Rob Manfred in November pleading for consideration but was denied.
"I believe that when you bet on baseball from Major League Baseball's perspective, you belong on the permanently ineligible list," Manfred told The Athletic at the time.
Rose has cashed in on his ban in other ways, charging memorabilia collectors extra to autograph items with the inscription "I'm sorry I bet on baseball."
Depending on how much he wagered during Ohio's first legal bet Sunday, he also might be sorry he bet on the Reds to win the World Series.
