PHILADELPHIA – Pete Rose will not be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame.
The Phillies announced Wednesday that "due to recent events" Rose won't participate in Alumni Weekend, scheduled for Aug. 10-13. The team said Rose supported the cancellation.
As part of the decision, Rose's plaque will not be added to the Phillies Wall of Fame in his absence.
A source close to the team said there are no indications Rose will be added to future Wall of Fame ballots.
The "recent events" center on court testimony earlier this week.
A Cincinnati woman, identified as "Jane Doe," filed a sworn statement in federal court Monday stating she had a sexual relationship with Rose beginning in 1973, when she was 14 or 15 years old. She said the relationship lasted several years.
Rose cannot be charged with statutory rape stemming from the allegations because the statute of limitations has expired.
The testimony was part of Rose's defamation suit against John Dowd, whose investigation of Rose's gambling in 1989 led to Rose accepting a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball, including the Hall of Fame.
Rose, 76, filed a suit claiming Dowd defamed him in July 2015 when he went on a radio show and said Rose, Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader, had sex with underage girls during his playing career.
Rose confirmed in a written statement as part of Monday's filing that he had sex with the woman but contended it began in 1975 and based on the “information and belief at the time," he thought she was 16 years old, which is the age of consent in Ohio.
Rose, then a member of the Cincinnati Reds and who was married with two children, turned 34 on April 14 that year.
Rose spent five seasons (1979-83) with the Phillies and was an important part of the 1980 World Series title team. He collected 826 of his record 4,256 hits as a Phillie and was a four-time All-Star in Philadelphia.
"While I am truly honored that the Phillies fans voted for me to be this year’s Wall of Fame inductee, I am concerned that other matters will overshadow the goodwill associated with Alumni Weekend, and I agree with the decision not to participate," Rose said in a statement.
The Phillies announced April 10 that Rose would become the 39th member of the team's Wall of Fame, the team's highest honor. Instead of inducting Rose, the Phillies will pay tribute to former Wall of Fame inductees during a pre-game ceremony Aug. 12.
The team also will not distribute the Pete Rose bobble figurine giveaway originally scheduled for Aug. 11. More than 40 alumni are expected to be recognized on the field Aug. 13.
Fans holding tickets for the Aug. 11 or Aug. 12 games can exchange them for any remaining 2017 game or receive a refund at any Citizens Bank Park sales window.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Contact Meghan Montemurro at mmontemurro@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @M_Montemurro.
