Pete Rose is heading back to Philadelphia for the first time since he was banned from baseball.
After Larry Bowa had said Rose attend the Phillies Alumni Weekend Celebration of the 1980 team on Aug. 7, the Phillies confirmed Rose will be there, marking his first return to the field in Philadelphia since his 1989 lifetime ban for betting on baseball.
“In planning the 1980 reunion, we consulted with Pete’s teammates about his inclusion,” the Phillies statement read. “Everyone wants Pete to be part of the festivities since there would be no trophy in 1980 without him. In addition, the club received permission from the Commissioner’s Office to invite Pete as a member of the championship team.”
Rose, 81, has been back to Cincinnati since his ban to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame and other ceremonies, but had never returned to Philadelphia, where he spent five of his 24 seasons in the majors.
The Phillies had actually planned to induct Rose into their Wall of Fame in 2017 but rescinded the invite and honor after allegations he had a sexual relationship with a minor in the 1970s while a member of the Reds arose in a lawsuit.
Rose did not face criminal charges because it was past Ohio’s statute of limitations.
While Rose has had more of a presence within baseball in recent years, including a short stint with FOX Sports as a studio analyst, he remains banned for life. He had applied for reinstatement in 2015 but was rejected by commissioner Rob Manfred.
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