The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Baseball's newest Hall of Famers are content to let Bud Selig make the call on Pete Rose's reinstatement.

The commissioner is waiting to schedule a meeting with the 60 living Hall of Famers to discuss whether Rose should be allowed back into the game following his ban for gambling.

Both Eddie Murray and Gary Carter expressed admiration for baseball's career hits leader - but they don't want to be the ones to make the decision.

"No question Pete is a great ambassador to the game of baseball with what he accomplished on the field," Carter said Thursday. "His 4,256 hits will forever be in the Hall of Fame. The issue of reinstatement - I'm glad I don't have to be a part of it."

At a news conference introducing baseball's newest Hall of Famers, Murray also tried to stay away from the issue.

"His glove, bats and uniform are already there. He's not forgotten," Murray said.

Selig had planned to meet with the members of the Hall today but postponed it last month. He would not give a timetable for the rescheduled meeting, and it appears increasingly unlikely it will happen before the start of spring training in mid-February.

Hall president Dale Petroskey, who was briefed by Selig on the Rose negotiations last month, hasn't heard anything new from the commissioner.

"It's between the commissioner and Pete," he said.

Rose agreed to a permanent ban from baseball in August 1989 after an investigation of his gambling. Because of the ban, he cannot appear on the Hall of Fame ballot.

John Dowd, who headed the Rose inquiry for baseball, wrote a report that detailed 412 baseball wagers between April 8 and July 5, 1987, including 52 on Cincinnati to win. Dowd cited evidence that included betting slips alleged to be in Rose's handwriting and telephone and bank records.

Rose applied for reinstatement in September 1997, but Selig hasn't ruled on it.

Officials want Rose to admit that he bet on baseball - which he repeatedly has denied - as part of any reinstatement agreement.

Rose, who played part of the 1984 season with the Montreal Expos, has been nominated for induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

A 16-member committee will begin evaluating the nominations of Rose and 45 others starting next week.

Inductees will be announced Feb.24.