MLB all-time hits leader Pete Rose has been accused of statutory rape during his playing career.

According to the New York Daily News, Attorney John Dowd, who investigated and wrote the Dowd report, which eventually to a lifetime ban from baseball for Rose, claimed that Rose's associate, Michael Bertolini, told Dowd that Rose committed statutory rape during his career.

Dowd stated, "Michael Bertolini told us that not only did he run bets, but he ran young girls for him down in spring training. Ages 12-14. Isn't that lovely? So that's statutory rape every time you do that."

Bertolini denies accusing Rose of statutory rape, claiming that "this story should be retracted immediately."

When asked about the claim, Rose angrily denied the allegations, stating to NJ.com, "Where was my family all of this time in spring training? I never went to spring training without my family except for my first year when I was a rookie. It's shocking."

He went on, "What level are they going to reach to next? What's Dowd going to talk about next? Something from 50 years ago when I was 24 years old? I don't know why anybody would believe that. It's unbelievable. That's the best one so far."

Rose, who admitted in 1997 that he placed bets while managing the Cincinnati Reds in 1987 and 1988, petitioned MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for reinstatement. Manfred will meet with Rose this month to discuss reinstatement in baseball, but this recent allegation is not helping Rose's cause of returning to the sport he once dominated.

In this year's All-Star game, Rose received the loudest ovation at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Rose is currently a baseball analyst for Fox Sports 1.

No arrests have been made and no witnesses have come forward. A spokesman for Major League Baseball was silent on the matter.

Rose is baseball's all-time leader in hits with 4,256.