Pete Rose won't participate in Phillies Alumni weekend

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - In the wake of recent allegations against former Philadelphia Phillie Pete Rose, Rose and the organization have announced he will not participate in the Phillies Alumni Weekend events later this month.

The team made the announcement Wednesday morning, adding that they also would not be distributing the Pete Rose bobble heads on Friday August 11.

In the Phillies' statement, Rose said, "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."

Saturday, the Phillies will pay tribute to former Wall of Fame inductees during a pre-game ceremony. Sunday, more than 40 alumni will be recognized on the field and all fans in attendance will receive a Wall of Fame card pack.

Fans with tickets to the August 11 game or August 12 game can exchange their tickets for any remaining 2017 games or receive a refund at any Citizens Banks Park sales window, or by mailing their tickets to The Phillies, One Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, PA 19148.

Exchanges or refunds must be processed by October 1, 2017.

Monday, a woman claimed in sworn testimony that she had a sexual relationship with Pete Rose in the 1970s, starting when she was 14 or 15 years old.

The testimony was presented by the defense as part of a federal lawsuit Rose filed last year in Philadelphia against a lawyer whose investigation got baseball's all-time hits leader kicked out of Major League Baseball for gambling.

Rose contends John Dowd defamed him in 2015 by saying on the radio that the former baseball great had raped young teen girls during spring training. Rose, 76, has acknowledged having a relationship with the woman beginning when she was 16, the age of consent in Ohio.

Rose's lawyer Ray Genco said the woman's claims are unverified.