Pete Rose OUT At Fox Sports

Pete Rose

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader will not continue at the cable network, where he was slated to return to the desk as part of its coverage of postseason games.

Fox Sports declined comment.

The news follows recent allegations that Rose had a sexual relationship with an underage girl in the 1970s. The claim is part of a defamation suit Rose filed last year against attorney John Dowd, who served as MLB's outside counsel in the investigation that led to the former slugger's lifetime ban from the sport in 1989 for betting on games featuring the Cincinnati Reds when he was the team's manager.

A sworn statement by the woman, identified as Jane Doe, in a motion filed July 31 by Dowd’s defense attorney, alleges that Rose had a relationship with her for several years, beginning before she turned 16, the age of consent in Ohio, where the woman and Rose lived at the time. Rose acknowledged in court documents that he had sex with the woman but thought she was 16 at the time. Rose would have been 34 then and was married with two children.

The statute of limitations means that Rose will not face criminal jeopardy.

The decision to sever ties with Rose comes as 21st Century Fox has been rocked by systemic harassment allegations at Fox News that have resulted in millions of dollars in settlements.