Vincent Questions Appearance

Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent said Pete Rose’s appearance at a minor league ceremony in Reading, Pa., “raises some serious questions” about whether he violated the order banishing him from baseball.

Rose, banned for life in 1989 by then-commissioner Bart Giamatti for gambling on baseball, was a guest Thursday night when the Reading Phillies retired Mike Schmidt’s jersey.

“I will look into it,” Vincent said. “I didn’t know about it. My understanding is that the agreement says he cannot participate in any form of activity related to organized baseball.”

Rose attended a Philadelphia Phillie game Friday night as a fan, sitting with Schmidt and his family. Phillie spokesman Larry Shenk said the major league game was Rose’s first since his banishment. Rose had no comment.