COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Pete Rose is appealing directly to baseballs Hall of Fame to restore his eligibility, arguing the lifetime ban he agreed to in 1989 was never intended to keep him out of Cooperstown.A seven-page letter to Hall president Jeff Idelson on Tuesday made the case that the settlement agreement reached by Rose and then-Commissioner Bart Giamatti didnt include a provision that he be ineligible for election to the Hall of Fame.At the time Pete agreed to the settlement, the consequences of being placed on the ineligible list were clear and specific -- and did not include a Hall of Fame prohibition, according to the letter, signed by Roses longtime attorney Raymond C. Genco and attorney Mark Rosenbaum.The Hall of Fame changed its bylaws two years after Roses banishment to make permanently banned players ineligible for the Hall, which shut out the career hits leader as long as he remained barred from baseball. Rose agreed to the ban after an MLB investigation concluded he bet on games involving the Cincinnati Reds while managing the team.Genco is asking the Hall to amend that bylaw specifically to allow Rose to be eligible for baseball writers to elect at their discretion. He makes the point that the banishments of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays for their association with casinos didnt affect their Hall status, and even Shoeless Joe Jackson had remained eligible after he was banned from the game for accepting money to throw the 1919 World Series.We believe that the institution of baseball will be strengthened by this act of grace -- an act that would give Pete Rose the same treatment that every other major league baseball player and manager received throughout the first 55 years of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the letter said.Hall spokesman Jon Shestakofsky said Wednesday that Idelson had not seen the letter and has not commented. In a previous statement, Idelson said, Pete Rose remains ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, based on the Hall of Fames bylaws, which preclude any individual on baseballs ineligible list from being considered for election.New baseball commissioner Rob Manfred in December denied the 75-year-old Roses latest petition for reinstatement, but Genco said Manfred opened the door by also stating that it wasnt Manfreds responsibility to determine whether Rose should be eligible for the Hall. Petitioning the Hall to change the rule, Genco said, was the next logical step.Genco noted that Manfred had allowed Rose to participate recently in some ceremonial activities, including the retirement of his No. 14 by the Reds and his induction into the Reds Hall of Fame in June.This play may only bring further scrutiny to Pete, Genco said. He may not get in. It may open a magnifying glass on Pete Roses transgressions, but if you look at it from a fundamental fairness point of view, I think we have good footing. We have a very reasonable argument where the board can take very reasonable action in their power to bring real closure to this.Spokesman Michael Teevan said MLB had no comment on Roses latest appeal.---Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacyFor some of his other recent stories: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mitch-stacy Tom LaGarde Jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Rashard Lewis Jersey .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. https://www.supersonicsjerseys.com/260s-danny-fortson-jersey-supersonics.html . 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He also would have answered to hero.The 55-year-old senior walk-on got into a game for the first time this season, carrying the ball four times for negative-one yard in South Carolina States 32-0 win over Savannah State in Orangeburg, South Carolina.His team presented Thomas with a game ball.I felt like a hero, said the native of Blackville, South Carolina. It was certainly one of the happiest days of my life. I always wanted to play college football and I finally got the chance. And I thank South Carolina State, coach (Buddy) Pough and the entire coaching staff and my teammates for the opportunity. I hadd been waiting 36 years.ddddddddddddI always said, Never give up on your dreams. Keep driving forward and dont listen to other people. Its a great day for me, but I must admit, I didnt think my situation would generate so much attention and so much positive response.Thomas entered the game with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter and picked up three yards on his first carry. He also carried the ball three times on the final possession of the fourth quarter.His 25-year-old son, Joe Thomas Jr., was a former All-MEAC linebacker at South Carolina State who plays for the Green Bay Packers.South Carolina State (4-6) will conclude its season next Saturday against Bethune-Cookman. ' ' '
