Rose: Reds HOF 'biggest thing' to happen in my career

CINCINNATI - Pete Rose joked about his hair and his age. He reminisced about all those wins with the Big Red Machine. There was one thing that the hits king was determined not to do when he was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds' Hall of Fame.

''I've already cried on the field one time,'' Rose said on Saturday, referring to the time he got his record-setting hit. ''That's enough.''

The 75-year-old Rose kept his composure during a pregame ceremony honoring him as the 86th player to go into the team's hall. Many of his former Big Red Machine teammates - Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Tony Perez, among them - were on hand to join in the humor and the honor.

Rose set baseball's hits record with No. 4,192 at Riverfront Stadium in 1985 against the Padres, who also were the Reds' opponent on Saturday. When he reached first base on his single, he wound up crying during a nine-minute ovation from the fans. As he was introduced at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, fans chanted, ''Pete! Pete!'' and gave him a one-minute ovation.

Rose joked that he's attended Hall of Fame inductions, but this was the first time he'd been invited to one. He told the fans that it was the ''biggest thing that's ever happened to me in baseball.''

Rose wore a plaid shirt and a white Reds cap to the media availability and the on-field ceremony. He won't get a red jacket like the ones that the other Reds Hall of Fame members wear until Sunday, when the Reds formally retire his No. 14 as well.

''It took 30 years and the size has changed over the years,'' Rose said. ''But I'm getting a red coat. I'm looking forward to getting a red coat.''