Baseball

Rose talks moving forward

NEW YORK -- A top baseball official is likely to meet with Pete Rose's business manager, and possibly the banned career hits leader, before the end of spring training.

The meeting, which has not been scheduled, will include Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, and Rose manager Warren Greene, the Associated Press reported. It has not been determined if Rose will attend.

The purpose is to review where baseball stands on Rose's application for reinstatement, which was filed in 1997 and appeared to be gaining momentum in the fall. Officials slowed the review after reports that Rose was at a Las Vegas casino and sports book and that the IRS placed a $151,689 lien on a home Rose owns, claiming he owes federal taxes from 1998.

Bud Selig is not close to deciding whether or not to reinstate Rose, and the commissioner doesn't plan to decide before opening day, AP reported.

AP also reported Selig might allow Rose to attend the opener of the Reds new stadium March 31 under conditions similar to the ones that allowed him to attend a sponsor's onfield ceremonies before World Series games in 1999 and last year.

MINOR-LEAGUER KILLED: Brewers minor-league pitcher Augustine Ozorede died over the weekend in a car accident outside his home in Ilorin, Nigeria. The right-hander, 18, signed in May as a free agent.

EPHEDRA CONTROVERSY: Union head Donald Fehr said he thinks the federal government may change the rules for using ephedra within a month. The FDA last week proposed strong new warning labels that pills containing the herb ephedra can cause heart attacks, strokes and death. Ephedra was linked by a Florida medical examiner to the death of Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler on Feb. 17, a day after he collapsed at spring training with heatstroke.

UMPS ATTACK SYSTEM: Forty-seven umpires, nearly three-quarters of the major-league staff, issued a statement opposing the computer evaluation system proposed by the commissioner's office. The statement says the umpires "have no confidence in the accuracy or reliability of the Questec Umpire Information System in evaluating whether umpires correctly call balls and strikes."

ALL-STAR GAME: Dusty Baker, who left the NL champion Giants for the Cubs after the season, will manage the NL at this year's game July 15 in Baker's new hometown.

CARDINALS: In his second spring outing, left-hander Rick Ankiel gave up three runs and five hits in one inning in a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers. Ankiel, who missed last season with an elbow injury and has been plagued by wildness, faced seven batters, walking none and striking out one. "Physically, I feel fine. Maybe the next time I'll get them to hit the ball at someone. But I'm happy I got my pitches to work," Ankiel said. ... Right-hander Gene Stechschulte had arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder to clean and repair his labrum. He's scheduled to resume throwing in three months.

INDIANS: Outfielder Karim Garcia strained his left groin and did not play. He is day to day.

MARINERS: An MRI exam on catcher Dan Wilson confirmed he had a strained oblique muscle on his left side and not a tear. He is sidelined for at least two weeks.

METS: The borough of Brooklyn, bereft of major-league baseball since the Dodgers moved to California in 1957, will get a one-day taste of the big leagues when New York visits for a March 30 workout. The team will stage a two-hour workout at KeySpan Park on Coney Island on the eve of its season opener against the Cubs.

ORIOLES: Right-hander Pat Hentgen allowed five runs and seven hits in three innings against the Twins. The 1996 Cy Young Award winner missed most of 2002 after elbow ligament replacement surgery.

PADRES: Left-hander Rob Ramsay pitched a perfect seventh in his first appearance since having surgery to remove a brain tumor Jan. 23, 2002. "I got through an inning," Ramsay said. "You've got to walk before you can run."

REDS: Shortstop Barry Larkin left the game against Cleveland after being hit on the right forearm with a pitch. He has a bruised forearm and is day to day.

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