News

Actions

Pete Rose defamation lawsuit dismissed after agreement

Posted at 4:24 PM, Dec 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-15 17:01:45-05

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A defamation lawsuit filed by Pete Rose last year against the lawyer who got him kicked out of baseball has been dismissed.

Federal court documents show Rose’s suit against John Dowd was dismissed Friday.

Statements issued by Rose’s lawyer and Dowd’s lawyer say both parties agreed “based on mutual consideration, to the dismissal with prejudice of Mr. Rose’s lawsuit against Mr. Dowd.”

They say they can’t comment further.

Rose contended in the suit that Dowd defamed him in 2015 by saying on the radio that the former baseball great had raped young teen girls during spring training.

MORE: Pete Rose sues John Dowd over allegations he had sex with underage girls

Rose's attorney, Ray Genco, told NJ Advance Media last year Dowd's accusation caused "real economic damages to Pete's reputation and marketability." 

The lawsuit said Dowd's accusations cost Rose a $250,000 endorsement deal with Skechers shoes and a $65,000 deal with a pain-relief cream.

Dowd investigated Rose for Major League Baseball in 1989, when accusations that the Reds manager bet on baseball and on his own team. The Dowd Report convinced Commissioner  Bart Giamatti to permanently ban the all-time hits leader from the game. The Baseball Hall of Fame then changed it rules to make Rose ineligible for induction.