Hall of Famers to Meet With Selig About Rose

The Hall of Fame has invited all 58 of its living members to a meeting with Commissioner Bud Selig in Los Angeles on Jan. 17 to discuss the possible reinstatement of Pete Rose, a Hall official said Saturday.

Rose, the all-time hit leader, has been on baseball’s ineligible list since 1989, when he accepted a lifetime ban for gambling. The penalty has made him ineligible for election to the Hall of Fame, but he met with Selig on Nov. 25 to discuss his possible reinstatement, and there have been subsequent meetings between his representatives and baseball officials.

It is presumed that Rose, who has never acknowledged betting on baseball, would have to do so before he is reinstated. An investigation by lawyer John Dowd documented that Rose, then managing the Cincinnati Reds, placed 412 bets on baseball during a four-month period in 1989, including 52 on the Reds to win.

The Hall official would not talk for attribution, but he said: “I don’t think there’s a united feeling among our members, but it’s obvious from their comments that many are concerned about the stature being cheapened and want to understand why the commissioner’s thinking [on Rose] has changed after so much time. It should be understood, however, that the Hall doesn’t have a role in the decision. It’s strictly up to the commissioner.”

-- Ross Newhan