EXCERPTS OF ROSE’S DEPOSITION APRIL 20-21

Pete Rose put what he said was his 1975 World Series ring on display at a Cincinnati bank in April to show he hadn’t sold it to pay a gambling debt.

In his deposition to baseball investigators on April 20-21, Rose admitted it was a sham and that the ring had been sold to New Jersey collector Barry Halper.

Rose was hesitant to tell investigator John Dowd the truth behind the ring.

Dowd: Let me go back to the World Series ring for a minute. I read somewhere recently that there’s some World Series rings on display at Kentucky National Bank?

Rose: Right. The branch office, downtown Cincinnati.

Dowd: Is the ’75 World Series ring there?

Rose: The one I have is there, yeah.

Dowd: It is? I thought you traded it? That’s what I’m confused about.

Rose: I did.

Dowd: Pardon?

Rose: I did. But I had a new one made for me just for my personal use. I don’t ever wear it. . . . What I was telling you yesterday, that the authentic ring is owned by Barry Halper . . . I wasn’t going to hide that from you.

The ring matter came up in April when published reports out of Boston linked Rose to convicted bookmaker Joseph S. Cambra. The reports said Cambra had Rose’s 1975 World Series ring, but Rose contended Cambra had only a copy of the ring.

“My World Series ring is at home,” Rose said at the time.

To prove his point, Rose asked that a northern Kentucky bank put his 1975, 1976 and 1980 championship rings on display. The display was heavily covered by the media, with The Cincinnati Post running a color picture of the three rings on its front page.