By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Pete Rose's admission that he bet on baseball raises some questions.

Such as:

Question: Now what?

Answer: The ball is in Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig's court. There's no guarantee Selig will reinstate Rose, but he probably won't wait forever to make that decision.

There is much public support for Rose's reinstatement and admission to the Hall of Fame. Making that happen could be a public-relations boon for Selig and Baseball.

PETE ROSE

DAUGHERTY COLUMN • Truth for sale ENQUIRER EDITORIAL • Rose's confession doesn't change a thing ENQUIRER COVERAGE • He bet on baseball • Rose grooves one for Selig • Rose felt heat in summer of '89 (WEB) • Roadblocks still occupy Rose's Cooperstown path • Gambling problems underestimated • Straight from Pete • Admission brings redemption • Hometown support strong • Rose memorabilia value should remain high • Revelation evokes relief, shock (WEB) • Attention will shift to Selig's decision • What others are saying • Pete Rose timeline (WEB) = Extended version-Web exclusive

Q. Does the timing of Rose's possible reinstatement matter?

A. Yes - especially with regards to Rose's Hall of Fame bid.

The Baseball Writers Association of America handles the voting during the player's 15-year period of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, which begins five years after the player retires. Most baseball writers are believed to support Rose's admission into the Hall of Fame. He needs 75 percent of those votes.

Q. What happens if the 15-year window expires without Rose making the Hall of Fame?

A. At that point, Rose's candidacy would move to the Veterans Committee, which isn't so favorably disposed toward Rose.

Q. What does the Veterans Committee have against Rose?

A. Many members are "old-school" types and don't want somebody who has bet on baseball to be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Q. Why would Baseball be wary of allowing Rose to manage again?

A. Selig can't have fans wondering if the games in which Rose is involved are on the up and up. There is also the risk of Rose having a relapse and returning to betting on games, which would seriously undermine the game itself and would make a travesty of Selig's legacy.

Q. Does Rose want to manage again? Was he a good manager?

A. The belief is Rose wants to manage. As for his ability, he wasn't as bad as some revisionists make him out to be. It is true that some young, talented Reds teams finished second in the division four straight years under Rose's leadership and that the Reds won a world championship in 1990, the year after he resigned. But his team played hard for him.

Q. Why did it take so long for Rose to make the admission?

A. It was probably a combination of forces. Baseball no longer could balance what appeared to the fans to be a hypocritical stance of allowing Rose onto major-league fields to be feted in connection with money-making ventures being conducted by Baseball - MasterCard sponsored some events - but then not allowing him on the field on a day honoring the closing of Cinergy Field.

Also, former teammates Mike Schmidt and Joe Morgan supported him, and the Hall of Fame clock is ticking. But perhaps most important, Rose saw an opportunity to make a buck by selling 500,000 books. There had to be something explosive in the book for it to sell.