ATLANTA -- By a 2-1 margin, most people think Pete Rose should be reinstated to baseball, even though many believe he did gamble on his sport, according to an Associated Press poll.

Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said Rose should be reinstated, while 29 percent said he should not, according to the poll, conducted for the AP by ICR of Media, Pa.

Seven out of 10 said baseball's career hits leader belongs in baseball's Hall of Fame, while almost two out of 10 said he doesn't. Rose is not eligible for the Hall of Fame as long as his lifetime ban remains in effect.

By a 78 percent to 15 percent margin, people said commissioner Bud Selig made the correct decision to invite Rose to the World Series ceremony Sunday honoring the sport's All-Century team. Rose was among the 25 players elected in fan balloting in the second half of the season.

Among those who think Rose should be allowed to appear at the series was Levona Walker, a communications specialist in her 40s from Bainbridge, Ga. The decision to let Rose appear with the All-Century team at the World Series is a good one, she said.

"He was a great player," said Walker, who considers herself a big baseball fan. "Everybody has faults, so why blame him for his faults?"

Still, more people don't believe Rose's gambling denial than believe him. Forty percent don't believe Rose is telling the truth about betting on baseball, while 30 percent believe him.

Tim Murray, a 55-year-old retiree from Tonawanda, N.Y., says he thinks the example Rose set on the field far outweighs the charge of gambling.

"He's one of the greatest baseball players," said Murray. "He was a great example through his hustle -- he showed a lot of hard work and hustle. He was a good example of youth of that day and this day."

Murray said he doesn't know whether Rose bet on baseball or not, "But I like him, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt."

The telephone survey of 1,012 adults was taken Oct. 1-5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Rose, then manager of the Cincinnati Reds, agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball in August 1989 following an investigation of his gambling. He applied for reinstatement in September 1997, and Selig has not ruled on the request, saying he sees no reason to chance the ban originally imposed by commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti.

Among those who describe themselves as following baseball closely, Rose got even higher backing, with 67 percent saying he should be reinstated and 29 percent saying he shouldn't. Seventy-two percent say he belongs in the Hall of Fame and 79 percent said he should be invited to the All-Century team ceremony.

But 49 percent think he's lying when he says he didn't bet on baseball, with 36 percent believing him.

Among casual fans, those who say they follow baseball but not closely, 64 percent say he should be reinstated, 79 percent say he belongs in the Hall of Fame and 84 percent agree he should be invited to the All-Century team festivities.

This group was about evenly split, with 40 percent saying they think he's lying about gambling on baseball and 36 percent believing him.

Marvin Carbonneau, a 66-year-old retiree from Champaign, Ill., is a lifetime baseball fan who thinks some officials in the sport may not have a good historical perspective.

"Unless they could prove he was throwing Reds games, they should let him back in," Carbonneau said. "The Babe wasn't exactly a saint."