Rose Launches Effort Aimed at Ending Ban

Pete Rose is taking a two-pronged approach to getting back into baseball--the information superhighway and the courts.

Rose is launching an Internet petition geared at getting him admitted into the Hall of Fame, and said he may sue baseball to end his lifetime ban for betting.

“You can’t keep a guy from making a living,� he said Tuesday in an interview with the Associated Press. “It’s not the American way.�

In the wake of an investigation into his gambling, baseball’s hits leader agreed in August 1989 to a lifetime ban from the sport. He applied for reinstatement in September 1997. Commissioner Bud Selig has said several times that he has seen no evidence that would make him remove the ban but hasn’t formally responded to Rose.

Rose claimed baseball’s lawyers “blackmailed� witnesses against him during its investigation 10 years ago. When pressed for details, he referred comment to his lawyer, Roger Makley, who declined comment. Those who led the investigation at the time, Fay Vincent and John Dowd, denied Rose’s accusation.

Rose was in New York for Tuesday’s launch of https://www.sportcut.com, which through Jan. 15 will carry a fan petition calling for Rose’s admission to the Hall of Fame. As long as he is banned from baseball, Rose is ineligible for the hall.

“One thing you have to understand is, we’re not looking for a fight,� Rose said. “If that has to be an option, that will be an option. That’s a last resort. I don’t need it. The game doesn’t need it.�

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Angel Manager Mike Scioscia was examined by an eye specialist at UCLA’s Stein Institute after he was accidentally struck in the face by a thrown baseball Friday.

According to Scioscia, a CT scan revealed that he suffered “a small fracture� in the orbit of his left eye. Scioscia said he was working out with a friend’s son when the incident occurred.

It is possible that surgery will be required, Scioscia said. “This isn’t anything that will slow me down,� said Scioscia, who was hired Nov. 18. “It’s a nice shiner, though.�

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The National Labor Relations Board is scheduled to announce today the result of month-long mail balloting that asked umpires whether they wanted to keep the Major League Umpires Assn., which Richie Phillips has headed since 1978, as their collective bargaining representative. After a petition was filed by dissident umpires, all umpires were asked to chose among Phillips’ union, a new union led by the dissidents or neither. A majority of the 93 major league umpires is needed to win. If there’s no majority, a runoff will be held between the top two.

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Free-agent closer Mike Jackson was close to signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, pending results of a physical, two baseball officials said. Jackson, who had 39 saves for the Cleveland Indians last season, was at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia for a series of tests. It is known that he has bad knees, but a more serious problem may be a damaged ligament in his throwing elbow. . . . The New York Yankees and reliever Mike Stanton agreed to a $7.35-million, three-year contract. The 32-year-old left-hander was 2-2 with a 4.33 ERA in 73 games last season. . . . Catcher Tony Eusebio will remain with the team that signed him as a teenager, agreeing to a $2.4-million, two-year contract with the Houston Astros. Eusebio, 32, hit .272 with four home runs and 33 runs batted in last season.

Soccer

Former Galaxy Coach Octavio Zambrano was hired to coach the New York-New Jersey MetroStars. Zambrano received a two-year contract. Zambrano was fired early this season after the Galaxy had won only two of its first five games, both in shootouts.

Fernando Clavijo, assistant coach of New York-New Jersey, was hired as coach of the New England Revolution. . . . Perugia of the Italian league has accused Torino goalkeeper Gianluca Bucci of stubbing out a cigarette in the face of Perugia sporting director Ermanno Pieroni after Sunday’s 1-0 Perugia victory. . . . Armenian officials threw out a 15-5 result between Shirak Gyumri and Gyumri, teams from the same town, after watching a video replay of the game and deciding it was fixed.

Boxing

American Stevie Johnston retained his World Boxing Council lightweight title on a unanimous 12-round decision over Billy Schwer of Britain at Wembley, England. The 27-year-old from Denver is 29-1. . . . A federal judge in New Jersey set strict spending limits on the International Boxing Federation in a move aimed at preserving its funds should a court-appointed monitor assume control of the troubled organization next month. U.S. District Court Judge John Bissell ruled that the boxing organization’s officials may not spend more than $5,000 a week for operational expenses without court approval.

Miscellany

Runner Xavier Nallamoutou died of a heart attack during the 10th mile of an international half-marathon on the Caribbean island of Martinique. He was 31. . . . Battery charges filed against former Laker Dennis Rodman and actress Carmen Electra stemming from a fight Nov. 5 in a Miami Beach hotel have been dropped. . . . Stanford received the at-large berth in the NCAA men’s water polo championships Saturday and Sunday at UC San Diego. UCLA, Massachusetts and UC San Diego had already qualified.