MONTREAL -- Pete Rose of the Montreal Expos became embroiled in a clubhouse scuffle Saturday with a Montreal radio reporter who is now threatening to file a lawsuit against the veteran player.
The incident occurred after the Expos' 3-2 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Olympic Stadium. Immediately after the game, Rose and broadcaster Jeff Rimer got into a heated discussion over something Rose claimed was said about him on the radio.
Rose, 43, then pushed Rimer, ripping his shirt before the rest of the players interfered and pushed Rimer out of the room.
'He was looking for the truth,' Rose said after the incident, 'and, I was trying to tell him what I felt. He went on the radio and accused me of saying the Montreal fans are negative.
'I've never said that, but I did accuse the media of being negative. I've worked 22 years to get the fans behind me, and if they want to boo me, that's O.K., but I'm never going to insult the fans and I don't know why Rimer claimed I did.'
Rimer, who had Rose as a phone-in guest on his radio program the night before, was furious.
'He had no right to do that to me,' Rimer said. 'I'm suing him.'
Rose said it was the first time in his career he has had a heated incident with a reporter.
'That was the dumbest thing I've ever done and I'm sure it's the dumbest thing he did,' Rose added.
Montreal manager Bill Virdon was surprised.
'I didn't see the fight,' he said. 'It's unfortunate, but I guess I'll read about it in the newspaper or hear about it on the radio.'
As Rimer left the room, he was chased by Expos' shortstop Doug Flynn, a good friend of Rose's, who also claimed Rimer criticized him.
'You'd better get out of here before I take a punch at you too,' Flynn said.
