The autographed bat Pete Rose used to hit his 159th home run sold to online gambling site Goldenpalace.com at auction for $103,631 on Saturday.
Leland's, the auction company, has suggested the bat is corked. Representatives for Goldenpalace.com say they'll slice the bat, and may sell it for charity if they find it's corked.
"We love Pete Rose, we have nothing against him and are amazed by his accomplishments," said Drew Black, a marketing representative for the site, told ESPN.com, "but we think this is a terrific opportunity to show this bat to the world."
The 17-time All-Star Rose, who denies any of his bats were corked, spent 24 years in the major leagues, 16 of them with the Reds. He holds 10 all-time MLB records, including career hits (4,256), games played (3,562) and most total bases by a switch hitter (5,752).
MARINERS CLOSE IN ON WASHBURN: Seattle is nearing a four-year deal with free-agent pitcher Jarrod Washburn, filling the team's need for another veteran arm in the starting rotation. Washburn, who was fourth in the American League with a 3.20 ERA last season, was close to a four-year deal worth between $35- and 40-million, the Associated Press reported Friday night.
