Is Wander Franco the Only MLB Player Who May have Engaged in Inappropriate Conduct with Minors?

Remember Pete Rose?

Some really ugly speculation has arisen regarding Rays all-star shortstop, Wander Franco. MLB is investigating reports that Franco had an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl. And reports of a possible inappropriate relationship with a second girl have arisen. But that’s given rise to other questions. Is Franco the only played to be involved in this type of conduct? If not, how widespread is it?

I’m not a big Pete Rose fan. The betting bothers me, but something else bothers me. The possibility that Rose was involved in the type of conduct Wander Franco is accused of. Below is a story I wrote about this a while back. It seems especially pertinent now. Much of this was first written on Aug 8, 2022.

The Pete Rose conundrum

Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader is still banned from the game because of his gambling, but that’s not the only troubling aspect of his life. It seems that Pete also had sex with underage girls. Or at least one which he admitted to. Pete’s defense, he thought she was 16. He also said he only had sex with her in Ohio, not Florida. Ohio’s age of consent was 16 while Florida’s was 18. By Pete’s questionable story, he wasn’t guilty of statuary rape, just disgusting behavior, But hey, he’s Charlie Hustle.

At 81, Pete still hasn’t lost his ability to offend

Sunday, Pete was back in Philadelphia for a celebration of the 1980 Phillies championship team. He was asked on a couple of occasions about the allegations of statutory rape and said it was over 50 years ago he wasn’t going to talk about the allegations.

Pete later spent some time up in the booth, letting the obscenities fly freely. Why Philadelphia, why? Pete Rose is always Pete Rose. How much license does Pete get because he got a bunch of base hits? It seems that athletes can get away with almost anything.

Would Jeffrey Dahmer still be alive if he could hit a curveball? Just how tolerant are sports fans? I would guess murder and cannibalism are still off the table, but it seems sex with underage girls might be negotiable.

Another thing that bothers me about Rose.

For years Rose denied betting on his own team and called John Dowd a liar. Then, in his book, which came out in 2004, Rose admitted betting on the Reds. Maybe Pete thought the admission would help book sales.

Questions I have for MLB.

So, when did MLB become aware of the allegations about Rose having sex with underage girls, or girl? Did they sit on that information for years?

If MLB’s all-time leader in hits was guilty of statutory rape, it’s a bad look for Rose and the sport. Pete Rose is not exactly an introvert. If he was having sex with young girls would he really stay quiet about it? Especially in a locker room setting?

Also, was Rose the only MLB player guilty of that sort of thing? I find it hard to believe.

Maybe all parties thought some things were best swept under the rug.

Now what?

Things have changes substantial since Pete Rose was as active player. Franco’s situation will be viewed in a different light than that of Pete Rose. As for Rose’ those allegations can be found in a number of sports. Here’s a link to one: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/baseball-legend-pete-rose-accused-sex-minor-1970s-faces-tainted-n788551

I realize sports fans often have to hold their nose when they root for their favorite teams. But still, how much are fans willing to overlook?