‘No Sense in Taking Circus’ to Hall of Fame : Rose Skipping Game in Cooperstown

Pete Rose says he is not afraid to meet baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti. He just does not want to do it on the Hall of Fame weekend.

Rose’s Cincinnati Reds are scheduled to play the Boston Red Sox in the annual Hall of Fame exhibition game Monday, but he will not be going.

The Reds’ manager said that he had been looking forward to attending the festivities but that he does not want the publicity over his court fight with Giamatti to overshadow the induction ceremonies of former teammate Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski. Rose noted that there was a chance he would meet Giamatti, who will be at the festivities.

“It’s just unfortunate,” Rose said, in announcing his decision late Wednesday night. “It’s just something that I had to do. I can understand their feelings. I just don’t want to distract from anything. I’ve been around this (media) circus for about four months now, and there’s just no sense in taking the circus to Cooperstown.”

Rose said, however, that he was not backing away from a possible encounter with Giamatti.

“I’m not scared to face anybody,” Rose said. “I just want you to know that. I’m not scared to look in the commissioner’s eye or anything like that. He has to be there. I don’t.”

Rose asked and received permission from team owner Marge Schott to stay behind when the Reds go to Cooperstown. Rose said it was only fair to the inductees.

“Their careers have been great. I don’t want to distract from anything like that,” Rose said. “I know this would be the first time that Commissioner Giamatti and myself would be in the same area that people know about, and I didn’t even want to take the chance that the circus would continue.