Pete Rose hiding his true feelings? Nah

Pete Rose took batting practice at the Cincinnati Reds' ballpark-under-construction Friday, then took a few verbal swings at baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

Under terms of his lifetime ban from baseball because of gambling, Rose is prohibited from going onto major-league fields or into clubhouses. But Rose and the folks in the Hamilton County government -- which arranged the media event -- said they didn't care whether the five-minute session violated the terms of Rose's ban.

"I can't worry about if baseball is going to get mad at me," Rose said. "I'm here selling baseball. That's something they should be doing. That's one of the problems with baseball today. They don't have good public relations people that know what they're doing."

Rose bristled when asked whether he thinks Selig, whose office is in Milwaukee, will mind.

"It doesn't matter what I do, baseball is going to look upon it in the wrong way," Rose said. "The problem with me and baseball is this: In 1989, I died -- unless they need me. Then they resurrect me. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't think they have telephones in Milwaukee and I don't think they get their mail."