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CNN Live Saturday

Can Pete Rose Come Back to Baseball?

Aired December 14, 2002 - 17:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Baseball executives are holding their winter meetings in Nashville, and one of the topics is whether the game's all-time hit leader should be allowed back in. Pete Rose has been out of the game since 1989 after allegations were made that he had bet on baseball. CNN's Josie Karp is in Nashville with a look at what it would take for him to return -- not to play, of course.
JOSE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. The question -- the big question is really how close would he actually come to getting back on the field, maybe in the dugout as a manager, Fredricka, if indeed he's reinstated.

We're well into the second full day of meetings here in Nashville. And normally by now you would have had a big free agent signing, or a trade, some sort of other news that would have taken the spotlight away from Rose. But that hasn't happened so he really is creating some buzz even though he is not here. Even though, Commissioner Bud Selig is not here.

We tried to ask a lot current managers, former players, contemporaries of Rose, what they thought about the idea of him being reinstated unconditionally. And a trend has emerged where a lot of those guys who know Rose pretty well don't really want to address that subject for whatever reason. Perhaps they don't want to alienate Rose with their true feelings. But the other question that goes part and parcel with whether or not he's reinstated, is whether or not Pete Rose should be eligible for the Hall of Fame. And that question the guys are a lot more eager to answer, and for the most part, that answer is a resounding -- yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HARGROVE, MANAGER, BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Peter certainly has had a Hall of Fame career. I think what he's been able to do in the game, the mess notwithstanding, has bettered the game.

ART HOWE, MANAGER, NEW YORK METS: Who am I to say what Pete deserves, or whatever, but I certainly believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame. As far as getting back into baseball, I think that's going to be difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARP: It would be difficult, but clearly not impossible. We've talked to baseball sources who have indicated if this process keeps moving forward, there's a chance that some sort of an agreement could be reached between baseball and Pete Rose, and his representatives, within a month.

And an indication that this is still moving forward, the fact that this week, there's the expectation that baseball executives will meet with Hall of Fame executives to talk about Rose's potential eligibility.

Fredricka, back to you.

WHITFIELD: So, Josie, it sounds like he stands a better chance of being in the Hall of Fame than at least becoming a manager, and maybe it's a little farfetched even to think he would be coaching if he were allowed to be back into Major League Baseball.

KARP: The people we've talked to, the people who are inside baseball, around baseball, it seems like the thing they're most uncomfortable with is the idea that this person -- who baseball has said believes that he gambled, the one thing that really violates the sanctity of the game -- that he would allowed to get so close that he would have an influence on the game, an influence on younger players.

So, as far as what's more likely? It's more likely he will be eligible for the Hall of Fame. But from what we've heard, it's not only going to be the Hall of Fame. There's going to be allowance where he could be involved with baseball some how, some way. But it might stop short of allowing him back in the dugout to manage.

WHITFIELD: All right, Josie Karp, thank you, from Nashville.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired December 14, 2002 - 17:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Baseball executives are holding their winter meetings in Nashville, and one of the topics is whether the game's all-time hit leader should be allowed back in. Pete Rose has been out of the game since 1989 after allegations were made that he had bet on baseball. CNN's Josie Karp is in Nashville with a look at what it would take for him to return -- not to play, of course.
JOSE KARP, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. The question -- the big question is really how close would he actually come to getting back on the field, maybe in the dugout as a manager, Fredricka, if indeed he's reinstated.

We're well into the second full day of meetings here in Nashville. And normally by now you would have had a big free agent signing, or a trade, some sort of other news that would have taken the spotlight away from Rose. But that hasn't happened so he really is creating some buzz even though he is not here. Even though, Commissioner Bud Selig is not here.

We tried to ask a lot current managers, former players, contemporaries of Rose, what they thought about the idea of him being reinstated unconditionally. And a trend has emerged where a lot of those guys who know Rose pretty well don't really want to address that subject for whatever reason. Perhaps they don't want to alienate Rose with their true feelings. But the other question that goes part and parcel with whether or not he's reinstated, is whether or not Pete Rose should be eligible for the Hall of Fame. And that question the guys are a lot more eager to answer, and for the most part, that answer is a resounding -- yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HARGROVE, MANAGER, BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Peter certainly has had a Hall of Fame career. I think what he's been able to do in the game, the mess notwithstanding, has bettered the game.

ART HOWE, MANAGER, NEW YORK METS: Who am I to say what Pete deserves, or whatever, but I certainly believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame. As far as getting back into baseball, I think that's going to be difficult.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARP: It would be difficult, but clearly not impossible. We've talked to baseball sources who have indicated if this process keeps moving forward, there's a chance that some sort of an agreement could be reached between baseball and Pete Rose, and his representatives, within a month.

And an indication that this is still moving forward, the fact that this week, there's the expectation that baseball executives will meet with Hall of Fame executives to talk about Rose's potential eligibility.

Fredricka, back to you.

WHITFIELD: So, Josie, it sounds like he stands a better chance of being in the Hall of Fame than at least becoming a manager, and maybe it's a little farfetched even to think he would be coaching if he were allowed to be back into Major League Baseball.

KARP: The people we've talked to, the people who are inside baseball, around baseball, it seems like the thing they're most uncomfortable with is the idea that this person -- who baseball has said believes that he gambled, the one thing that really violates the sanctity of the game -- that he would allowed to get so close that he would have an influence on the game, an influence on younger players.

So, as far as what's more likely? It's more likely he will be eligible for the Hall of Fame. But from what we've heard, it's not only going to be the Hall of Fame. There's going to be allowance where he could be involved with baseball some how, some way. But it might stop short of allowing him back in the dugout to manage.

WHITFIELD: All right, Josie Karp, thank you, from Nashville.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com