Pete Rose Compares PEDs to Athletes Gambling

How betting on baseball in the United States is similar to athletes taking performance enhancing drugs.

Pete Rose, a baseball legend during his years both as a player and a manager, compares opportunities to bet on sports in the United States to performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Rose certainly knows all about betting on baseball, currently being banned from such activity in the USA.

American gambling news reported the following words by Pete Rose, when he was visiting “The Michael Kay Show” on the radio: “They’re both bad. I think in my case, I know I didn’t do anything to alter the statistics of baseball. As you know, baseball statistics are sacred. That’s why baseball cards are worth more than football cards, why that Honus Wagner card is going for a couple million bucks, why baseball memorabilia is much more valuable than football or basketball memorabilia.”

He went on about the subject of performance enhancing drugs in baseball: “I had nothing to do with altering statistics of baseball, and these guys, that take PEDs – wouldn’t it be nice if you could ask Babe Ruth the same question, or Roger Maris the same question or Hank Aaron, who won’t talk about it. I’d like to hear what their response will be because those are the guys who lost their records because of supposedly steroids.”

Alex Rodriguez case

The third baseman for New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez, is already suspended for the remainder of the 2014 season. The suspension comes as a punishment for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, when he allegedly took performance enhancing drugs for three straight years, starting in 2001.

The baseman has since denied all allegations that he ever took PEDs from either Biogenesis or the company’s founder, Anthony Bosch. However, his appeal to overturn the suspension was not successful. It was merely reduced from 211 games down to 162.

Pete Rose’s reaction to Alex Rodriguez suspension

How the effects of PEDs are similar to betting on baseball

• According to Pete Rose, athletes who bet on sports in the USA, can be compared to those taking PEDs
• Alex Rodriguez suspended from baseball for alleged involvement in PEDs
• New York Yankees player decided to drop the lawsuit and accept suspension

Pete Rose applauded Rodriguez’ decision to drop the lawsuit, which resulted in him accepting the 162 games suspension. Subsequently he will not be reporting for spring training session as he was previously planning to.

Rose had the following message for Rodriguez: “Alex, sit out your year and keep yourself ready. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he doesn’t come back and be a productive player. He loves the game, he loves the tradition of the game, he made a mistake like the rest of us did.”

He went on to add: “It’s going to be interesting to see how Alex handles the offseason. I don’t want to hear he’s going to play for the Ducks or some independent league team. He doesn’t need to do any of that kind of stuff because then you’re creating a circus type of atmosphere.”

Pete Rose had a very interesting comment about Alex Rodriguez attitude towards the game. Rose shared: “I never seen a guy that can make $25 to $30 million a year that has less confidence than Alex Rodriguez. There are three ways you can treat a person – pat him on the butt, kick him in the butt or leave him alone. You got to pat Alex on the butt.”

He continued: “You have to tell him how good he is on a daily basis. That’s the way I read Alex Rodriguez. He’s not very confident. All that skill he has, and the way he performed over the years, you think the guy would be a real ass-kicker. He’s kind of a non-confident guy. I thought that was kind of strange.”

Correlation between taking PEDs and betting on baseball

Although these two notions are hardly connected, according to Pete Rose they both are just as bad for the development of sport. While taking performance enhancing drugs can seriously alter the outcome of the game, wagering at online sportsbooks in the United States has less clear effect on the statistics.

However, when athletes directly involved in the game bet on the matches, it raises a serious question of integrity. The practice when sportsmen are banned from betting on the sporting events they participate in is a clear way to prevent match-fixing.