Just My Type

The Interview
Pete Rose
BASEBALL EXILE

The alltime hits leader signs autographs 15 days a month in Las Vegas.

Dan Patrick: You're commissioner for a day. What's your first move?

Pete Rose: Reinstate me [laughs].

Q: What do you think the Mitchell Report accomplished?

PR: I think it just created a lot of bad publicity for the game. And gave the media a lot to talk about for a long period of time.

DP: Former commissioner Fay Vincent says that you're like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds in that what made you great also kept you from admitting a mistake. True?

PR: I should have come clean long before I did, but I was in a tough situation, knowing I was going to lose a job, and not knowing what I was going to do, if I said I bet on baseball. But [my betting] had nothing to do with the outcome of games. When you're making your body bigger, that directly affects the outcome of a game.

DP: What's worse, betting on your team or using performance-enhancing drugs?

PR: I don't think there's any question using drugs is worse. I was absolutely wrong, but when you bet on your team to win, what do you do? You do everything in your power to win the game.