Rose Lawyers Hire Private Investigator

Pete Rose’s lawyers have hired a private investigator to interview potential witnesses for the Cincinnati manager’s delayed hearing before the commissioner.

Jim Simon of Business Intelligence Inc. was added to help interview witnesses, the Cincinnati Post said in today’s editions. But the attorneys will not say whether they will call witnesses to the hearing.

The showdown between Rose and Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, which had been scheduled for Thursday, was put off until June 26 at the request of Rose’s lawyers.

Reuven J. Katz, a Rose lawyer, said additional time was needed to evaluate the evidence and prepare for the hearing after investigators had given him 60 more transcripts and interviews. This was in addition to the voluminous material which came out of baseball’s investigation which reportedly dealt with Rose’s gambling.

“It takes time to check out these things,” Robert Pitcairn Jr., another attorney, said of the new material which was delivered to the law office on Friday.

Rose said the delay request was fair.

“I think it wasn’t unreasonable to ask for the 30 extra days,” Rose said Monday night. “We appreciate the commissioner giving it to us.

For nearly two weeks, Rose’s attorneys have pored over a special investigator’s 225-page report that includes seven volumes of exhibits and interviews. The report reportedly focuses on whether Rose gambled on baseball games and possibly Reds games. Some of those accusations came from former friends who said Rose was tied into a major sports betting ring that operated in Cincinnati and Franklin, Ohio.

Giamatti said the hearing would give him a chance to talk with Rose before issuing a final judgment on the case.