When people see a hot, thirty-something babe with fake breasts accompanied by a legendary former athlete in his 70s, the word “gold digger” pops to mind faster than a Pete Rose hustle to first base.
But TLC attempts to show a far more complex scenario in “Hits & Mrs.,” its new reality show documenting the life of Rose, 71 — baseball’s controversial all-time hits leader — and his 30-ish fiancee, Kiana Kim.
For one thing, a real gold digger would probably pick a juicier target than the disgraced Rose, whose gambling on Major League Baseball games led to a lifetime ban (instituted in 1989) that includes ineligibility to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.
“I’d prefer managing a baseball team or [somehow] being in the world of baseball, but I’m the one who screwed that up,” says Rose, who spends at least 15 days a month signing autographs for cash in Las Vegas.
But after speaking to Rose and Kim, it’s clear their relationship evolved naturally — and even skeptically, on Kim’s part.
They first met around five years ago at a Mercedes dealership. Kim had no idea who Rose was.
“She was beautiful,” Rose tells the Post. “I said to her, ‘If you ever wanna come to Vegas, I have some contacts at Caesars. I’m sure I can get you and a girlfriend accommodations. Here’s my number, let me know.’ ”
“I thought it was weird,” says Kim. “Then a friend told me he was a baseball player and he signed autographs. I thought it was just very strange.”
The pair exchanged cautious text messages for several months, and when Rose later offered to make an appearance at a salon Kim owned at the time, their relationship evolved.
The couple claims that age has no bearing on their relationship, even with an almost-40-year difference. (Rose says he has never asked Kim her actual age.)
“The way I read this situation, she doesn’t care how old I am, she cares how young I act and how young I look,” says Rose.
On the six-episode “Hits & Mrs.,” premiering Jan. 14, we see the life that Rose, Kim, and her two children — daughter Cassie, 14, and son Ashton, 11 — have built together, and get glimpses of their lives that include their dining with Kim’s parents, and Rose’s awkward relationship with the sport of baseball.
While Rose says he’s come to terms with his ineligibility for the Hall (even as he considers re-applying for reinstatement), it’s apparent that the ban has had a tremendous effect on his life.
“I wouldn’t wanna go into the Hall and make anyone who runs it feel uncomfortable,” says Rose, who is also banned from taking any official Major League Baseball-related job, or even entering a major league ballpark in any official capacity.
“But when Kiana goes in and tells me I have 15 artifacts in [the Hall of Fame], that’s great for people to see.
“But I’d rather have a plaque.”