BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred remains on track to decide Pete Rose's application for reinstatement by the end of next month.
Then Cincinnati's manager, Rose agreed in 1989 to a lifetime ban from baseball after an MLB investigation concluded that he bet on games involving the Reds while managing and playing. Rose applied for reinstatement in September 1997 and met with commissioner Bud Selig in November 2002, but Selig never ruled on Rose's application.
Manfred succeeded Selig in January, and Rose again applied to end the ban. Manfred met with Rose on Sept. 24.
"The end of the year is my deadline," Manfred said Tuesday at the general managers meetings. "I'm not telling you that this is coming Dec. 30 or whatever. It will be done before the end of the year, let me be clear about that."
Also Tuesday, Manfred said each ballpark's differences make it impractical to have identical protective netting at all 30 big league venues.
The commissioner's office has been discussing the issue with teams following a series of injuries to fans from foul balls this year. Owners will discuss the matter when they meet in Dallas on Nov. 18-19.
"If you go out and look at the ballparks, it becomes evident that a simple uniform -- for example you're going to net to the edge of the dugout -- is not workable, given the variation in designs of the stadium," Manfred said.
"It's going to have to be a little more complicated than that if, in fact, we move ahead."
The commissioner also said remains hopeful that a big league team will play an exhibition game in Cuba during spring training next year.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.