five feet. I think Ive just spent so much time on the go

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Pete Rose didnt want it to be about him, not on a day when four new members were elected to baseballs most exclusive club.Good picks all, Rose said, though he would have liked to see Mike Piazza get in, too. He believes Piazza was the best hitting catcher ever, which says something because Rose played alongside the best catcher ever in Johnny Bench on the Big Red Machine.Lets talk about them, not me, Rose said. Why take away from the four inductees? It would be like those policemen turning their backs on the mayor at the funerals in New York.Invariably, though, the talk returned to baseballs all-time hit king. Had to, because theres a big gap in Cooperstown where his Hall of Fame plaque should be.Its been a quarter-century since Rose agreed to a lifetime ban from the sport for betting on games, and almost that long since the Hall of Fame adjusted its rules to keep him off the ballot. Rose thought when commissioner Bart Giamatti issued the ban that it would include a chance to apply for reinstatement, but 25 years later theres been no sign that baseball will welcome him back.Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens may someday find their way into the hall despite being poster boys for the steroid era. Time has a way of healing all wounds, even those that were self-inflicted, and their monster numbers may impress some more voters a few years down the road.But time is running out on Rose. Hell be 74 in April and theres been no indication so far from Rob Manfred that he will be any more agreeable to Roses reinstatement when he takes over from Bud Selig as commissioner later this month than Selig himself was.Rose understands that. Hes also figured out by now that selling signed balls with the inscription Im sorry I bet on baseball isnt going to get him off the banned list.Yes, he bet on baseball, though he says it was always on his team to win when he was managing the Cincinnati Reds. And, yes, he continued to deny it until finally admitting it in a 2004 book that infuriated many in the sport.But hed like to hold out a little hope that his lifetime sentence wont last the rest of his life. Hed like to think that one January day not too far in the future he will be on a long overdue Hall of Fame ballot himself.Im not eligible, though Id like to be eligible, Rose said. Im the one that messed up, but if Im ever put on the ballot Ill be very happy about it.So would a lot of Pete Rose fans, who cant help but wonder why the juicers who made a mockery of the sport are still welcome in baseball while Rose is on the outside looking in. No matter how you feel about him betting on games, no one questions his numbers as they do those of several players who were on the latest Hall of Fame ballots.Those numbers more than speak for themselves. Rose played more games (3,562) than any other major leaguer, had more hits than any other player (4,256). He played in six World Series, winning three, and hustled every step of the way.He didnt pump steroids into his body to hit more home runs. He never tried to fix a World Series; not even a spring training game.Yes, his original ban was rightly imposed as a deterrent against someone else trying to fix games themselves. But after all these years, his punishment no longer fits the crime.Rose watched the latest selections Tuesday, applauding the election of Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Craig Biggio and Randy Johnson to the hall. He then headed to work at the Art of Music collectibles store at the Mandalay Bay where he spends most of his afternoons chatting with fans and signing merchandise they buy.A signed 8x10 of Rose sliding head-first into third base is $75, while the apology baseball goes for $299. For $199 fans can get another baseball with the inscription Hits: 4,256. Steroids: 0 on it.Hell be in Cooperstown this summer as he almost always is, though not for the actual induction ceremony itself. Like many other former players, he sets up shop that week to sell his merchandise to fans and the sons of fans who once watched him play.Its good money on a busy week, and Rose isnt going to apologize for being there. Its what he does for a living, and the reason he finally had to cut short a conversation about an induction of his own that will probably never come.Ive got two people waiting in line right now, he said. Could be busy day.____Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org or www.twitter.com/timdahlberg . Cheap Yeezy . Dane Dobbie and Shawn Evans each had two goals and two assists for the Roughnecks (8-5), who outscored Minnesota 6-2 in the fourth quarter after being tied through 45 minutes. Curtis Dickson scored once and set up three more for Calgary and Dan MacRae, Geoff Snider, Tor Reinholdt, Karsen Leung and Matthew Dinsdale. Fake Yeezy . Balotelli was out at dinner with his brother Enoch and came home to discover he had been burgled. The car was later found abandoned. Balotelli wrote Saturday on Twitter: "I feel empty! No emotions . https://www.fakeyeezywholesaleonline.com/ . The Rangers centre left early in Game 1 with an upper body injury after being checked by Canadiens defenceman Mike Weaver and has not played since. Brassard told reporters after practice that he was good to go. That brought a smile to the face of Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. Cyber Monday Yeezy . - Suspended Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon has voluntarily checked into a treatment facility and seems to be doing well. Yeezy China . The hard-serving 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., became the first Canadian to be ranked in the Top 10 on the ATP World Tour thanks to his runner-up performance at Rogers Cup in Montreal.Its been 11 years since Mike Weir raised his arms in celebration after tapping in a short putt to win the Masters. For sure, April 2003 was a magical time for the lefthander. But it was April 2010 that may end up being just as significant. It was that month in that year that he conked a root with his swing and injured his elbow during play at the Heritage. That started the long spiral down from which he is still fighting to recover. Since that fateful day in Hilton Head, Weir has played 73 tournaments and missed the cut 53 times with four withdrawals. Hes had surgery and taken time away to recover from various ailments. Hes switched coaches and hes tried different swings. But through it all, one thing Weir has never done is lose hope. As good as his game has been over the years, as talented as he was with the putter and as precise as he was with the wedges, its his dog-on-a-bone determination, his will and self-belief that have been his biggest assets. And that only increases when it gets close to Masters time. "I really think I can contend there," Weir said of the years first major. "I still believe in myself, more than anything. When I step on the grounds there, I have confidence. I know how to play that golf course. I have a great strategy for that golf course that doesnt really change." Weir is playing the PGA Tour on the second of two lifetime money list exemptions but he has a lifetime pass to Augusta, so no matter what happens down the road, he can keep coming back. But he doesnt want to be there in a ceremonial way; he wants to see his name on the leaderboard again and he believes that can happen even if he admits that might surprise a few people. "Im definitely under the radar," statted Weir, who hasnt been under par at Augusta since his opening round of 2010.dddddddddddd "I hope to build on the next couple weeks. Its obviously a course I love. Good vibes and memories there — and I definitely know how to play that golf course." During much of his period of struggle, its been the driver thats been the weak link in his bag but lately the troubles have come at the other end. "Ive been really struggling on the greens, which is unlike me. My last start in Tampa, I made only two birdies, from four and five feet. I think Ive just spent so much time on the golf swing — 80/20, probably — I just needed to put more attention on the short game, which Ive done." Even with renewed confidence in his big stick, Weir knows that to conquer Augusta National, hell need to have all parts of his game going. As a medium to short hitter, tackling a 7,700-yard layout is going to put pressure on his wedges and putter. The course is so different than the one he played on in his first Masters in 2000 and the one he won on in 2003. Its longer, has a first cut (aka rough) and trees have been planted that remove some the possible angles that can be used to get at pins. But mostly, its just so much longer. "It takes a special kind of week to win there," he stated, "for someone outside the bombers. But it can still be done." It would certainly be special to see Canadas most successful golfer in the hunt again at the Masters, or anywhere for that matter. If he doesnt, it certainly wont be from lack of effort. Weir has spent long hours on the range and the putting green, trying to find the magic once again. Perhaps it will finally come together for him at Augusta National. ' ' '