Pete Rose on Questions About Statutory Rape Accusations: 'It Was 55 Years Ago, Babe'

Baseball legend Pete Rose declined to discuss an allegation of statutory rape dating back to the 1970s as he was on hand to celebrate the Philadelphia Phillies' 1980 World Series title.

"No, I’m not here to talk about that," he told Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Sorry about that. It was 55 years ago, babe."

Coffey shared more of Rose's comments:

Alex Coffey (2/2) "You weren't even born. So you shouldn't be talking about it, because you weren't born. If you don't know a damn thing about it, don't talk about it."

In July 2016, Rose filed a defamation lawsuit against John Dowd after Dowd alleged the 17-time All-Star had committed statutory rape while an active player. As part of his…