Pete Rose's official reinstatement meeting with new MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is expected to occur in August, but the Reds legend hopes to meet Manfred at next week's All-Star Game in Cincinnati.
As a matter of fact, Rose sounds downright giddy just to breathe the same air as Manfred after being mostly shunned throughout Bud Selig's long tenure as commissioner.
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"I'm elated, I'm very happy that he's willing to reconsider my status," Rose said this week, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. "And until I meet with him face to face, I've never met him up until now. Hopefully I'll see him in Cincinnati and introduce myself, but there again it's best for me not to comment on any situation that he may have on his mind. When you're in my situation you're open to almost anything, OK? I'm just happy that he's going to review my status and we'll go from there."
In the months after Manfred took over as commissioner, there appeared to be reason for optimism on Rose's part. Manfred expressed his willingness to consider Rose's appeal of the lifetime ban he accepted in 1989 for gambling on baseball. But an ESPN report last month that appears to show evidence that Rose gambled on games while he was still playing — which he has always denied doing — could prove fatal to the 74-year-old's efforts.
Rose has declined to comment on the specifics of that report, but if nothing else he'll enjoy taking part in next week's festivities in his hometown. MLB will allow Rose to participate in the All-Star Game as he will be honored along with Hall of Famers Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench and Barry Larkin as part of the Reds' "Franchise Four" before taking part in Fox Sports' game broadcast.
As he has done for so many years, Rose can't help but lobby for himself as a changed man.
"All I can tell you is I'm not the same guy today as I was 25, 30 years ago," Rose said. "I realize 25, 30 years ago I made mistakes and I'm not the same guy today. I'm just a solid baseball fan that likes the game and cares about the game and tries to help the game on a daily basis and we'll go from there."
We'll have to wait until after the celebration fades away in Cincinnati to find out whether Manfred buys it, or if it even matters given Rose's past transgressions.
