They Don’t Believe Rose Is Worth the Gamble

Not every sports commentator wants Pete Rose in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Writes Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Pete Rose can never be reinstated by Major League Baseball. He can never be made eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Any arguments contradicting my views are based on emotion, not logic. For nothing even resembling logic supports Rose’s reinstatement.”

Steve Scholfield of the North County Times: “Why is Major League Baseball even talking to Pete Rose? What has Rose done to merit consideration for reinstatement? The answer is nothing.

“A guy can be racist (Ty Cobb), a womanizer (Babe Ruth) or a fall-down drunk (Mickey Mantle) and get into Cooperstown. Rose broke the one cardinal rule in baseball -- he bet on games.”

Trivia time: How many Washington State players have been Rose Bowl player of the game?

Raider World: There is a mystique about the Raiders that seems to permeate pro football. Ron Mix, a Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle, told Jerry Magee of the San Diego Union-Tribune about it.

“When I am introduced to someone and the person introducing me says, ‘Ron played pro football,’ I say, ‘Ten years with the Chargers and two with the Raiders.’

“Invariably, the person I am meeting says, ‘Wow! The Raiders!’ ”

Self analysis: Denver Bronco quarterback Brian Griese, on the Broncos having lost three consecutive home games: “No team that loses three in a row deserves to be in the playoffs.”

North of the border: Speedskater Catriona Le May Doan edged Dallas Maverick guard Steve Nash in winning the Lou Marsh Trophy, given annually to Canada’s outstanding athlete.

Also in Canada: The father of a 16-year-old is suing the New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Assn., seeking $200,000 in psychological and punitive damages for the harm done his son because he did not win the league’s most-valuable-player award.

Michael Croteau said his son, Steven, the leading scorer in the league, was so crushed he lost his desire to play.

Asks Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle: “How could hockey possibly recover from such a loss?”

Big is better: Kansas City Chief Coach Dick Vermeil, on Leonard Davis, Arizona’s 372-pound tackle: “[He] is big enough to eat hay. He is enormous. Sooner or later you’ve got to put in a law against guys that size.”

Trivia answer: One, fullback Carl Dietz, in 1916. He rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown in the rain as Washington State beat Brown, 14-0.

And finally: Former USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson knows how to rate talent when he sees it.

After Johnson had watched Trojan freshman receiver Mike Williams, ESPN.com reported that the NFL star said, “He could become one of the best receivers at USC, like the second-best receiver to play here.”

Could he have been thinking of Johnnie Morton as No. 1?

-- Shav Glick