By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Reds Hall of Famers Tony Perez and Johnny Bench get a laugh out of some of the articles in the Baseball As America exhibit. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

Four of the five Hall of Famers who attended Friday's unveiling of the Baseball as America exhibit at the Museum Center said Pete Rose would be well-served to admit his wrongdoing if he expects to join them in Cooperstown.

Johnny Bench, the fifth Hall member in attendance, declined comment. He obviously was not pleased with the timing of the question about his former teammate, given the joyfulness of the occasion.

"Aw, not that question," groaned Bench, shaking his head and walking away.

It's an indicator of how divisive the issue is, even among the 58 living Hall of Famers, 44 or 45 of whom return to Cooperstown each summer to fete that year's inductees.

The four Hall of Famers who said Friday that Rose should admit his wrongdoing were former teammate Tony Perez, Brooks Robinson, Robin Roberts and Gaylord Perry.

Their opinions are consistent with what another Reds teammate, Joe Morgan, continues to say, and what Bench has said in the past.

It also appears to be the prevailing opinion of most Hall of Famers. "Most of the guys, probably the majority of them, just want to hear Pete say, 'Hey, look, I gambled on the game, I'm sorry, I'm not bigger than the game,' " Robinson said.

Rose is scheduled to sign autographs at a collectors' show at the Convention Center at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. An Internet report this week quoted unnamed sources as saying Rose would be reinstated without having to make an admission of wrongdoing. The report, dismissed by Major League Baseball as erroneous, stirred up a hornet's nest.

"It (no admission of wrongdoing) is not going to happen," Robinson vowed. "There's going to be a lot of disappointed Hall of Famers if he doesn't admit it."

Some Hall of Famers, led by former Cleveland Indians great Bob Feller, don't want Rose in the Hall at all. But, as Perez noted, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig can't make everybody happy.

As for the question of whether Rose should be allowed to manage again:

Perry said he shouldn't, Robinson said it's a "tough call," and Perez and Roberts said it is up to the commissioner to determine.

Robinson said "nearly all" of the 44 to 45 Hall of Famers who regularly attend inductions would also attend Rose's induction.

"Everyone's pretty forgiving," Robinson said. "But those are the magic words. He's got to say, 'I did it.' He can't just say I did some things wrong."

Bench's annoyance at the length of the shadow cast by Rose is understandable: The shadow was there when Bench was inducted into Cooperstown in 1989, and it remains over the Baseball as America exhibit.

At last month's Hall of Famers banquet on induction night for Eddie Murray and Gary Carter, one of the Hall of Famers stood up to say said there should be no discussion of Rose, so as to keep thing harmonious, Robinson said.

"That was a good thing," Robinson said. "We've had some pretty heated discussions over the last few years."

Some Hall of Famers may be tired of fielding questions about Rose but the subject will keep coming up as long as Rose is on the outside looking in.

Some people want to judge Rose merely by the worthiness of his all-time hit record. The Hall of Famers apparently aren't among them.

"Pete obviously has the credentials to be in," Roberts said. "Nobody's saying he doesn't. (But) it's up to the commissioner and Pete to do what has to be done to get him off the disqualified list."

Beyond that, "it's hard to say" whether the writers will give him the necessary 75 percent of the votes for election, or whether he'll be fully reinstated and allowed to manage again, Roberts said.

Whatever Rose can say to provide a "full understanding" of what it is that he did - especially as regards betting on games in which he was involved as a player or manager - would be helpful, Roberts said. The questions and mystery around his gambling make it harder for him to make the case that he deserves to manage again, Roberts said.

'Baseball as America'

"Baseball As America" opens today at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal and runs through Nov. 9.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Cost is $6.75 for adults, $5.75 for seniors, $4.75 for children 3-12 and $3.75 for children 2 and under.

It is the first major exhibition to examine the relationship between baseball and American culture. The exhibit was organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., and culled from its artifacts.

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