The Associated Press

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Mike Schmidt thinks Pete Rose could gain reinstatement to baseball soon.Schmidt acknowledged Tuesday, his first day as a special hitting instructor for the Philadelphia Phillies, that he attended a meeting in November between commissioner Bud Selig and the career hits leader.

"I'm optimistic that things will happen fast enough that you might see Pete at Reds Opening Day this year," Schmidt said. "I don't want to become the commissioner on this issue, but I'm optimistic."

Last week, a high-ranking baseball official said Selig doesn't plan to consider Rose's application for reinstatement before Opening Day.

The Reds, for whom Rose played from 1963-1978 and later managed, open Great American Ball Park on March 31, and Mayor Charlie Luken wrote to Selig in November, urging that Rose be reinstated by the first game GABP.

Schmidt, a Hall of Famer and a teammate of Rose's on the Phillies' 1980 World Series championship team, attended the Nov. 25 meeting in Milwaukee that also included Rose, manager Warren Greene, Selig and Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer.