THE WRITING ON (AND OFF) THE WALL ROSE FINDS A WAY TO HUSTLE US AGAIN.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

Let's see, it must have been in his last autobiography, ``Pete Rose: My Story,'' which came out just after he was banned from baseball in 1989, when the game's all-time hits leader presented his case to anyone willing to spend the 20 bucks that, no matter what then-commissioner Bart Giamatti insisted, he never bet on the game.

For almost 15 years, that's the script Rose stuck to, whether you approached him on the subject while he was waiting in line at a race track betting window or hosting his own radio talk show or parked behind a table at a collectibles convention scribbling his name - for a nominal fee - on anything thrust under his nose.

But this week, Rose's story changes. And that'll be another $25, thank you.

In this bounded testimonial called ``My Prison Without Bars,'' a victimized Rose now confesses to gambling on games, including his own team, while he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds. That's according to several sources who, despite heavy security around the book's contents, have leaked this tidbit of information to a couple of newspapers in the past few days.

The book's release Thursday will coincide with TV appearances on three ABC shows, including a heavily promoted primetime interview and a debate later on ``Nightline.'' And reporters who get an advanced copy Wednesday must sign a confidentiality agreement promising not to write about its contents until the next day.

So, are you buying it? Any of it?

Kids, there's no hidden agenda here for the living legend who now resides much of the time in Sherman Oaks with his newest family that includes a daughter who attends Notre Dame High. It all couldn't be a more public agenda to collect the sympathy needed to secure a permanent place for the Prodigal Son in a little brick building in Upstate New York.

For years, he's been asked - begged - to just come clean, told that everyone would forgive him if he was patient enough. Even Jim Gray put what little reputation he had on the line and badgered Rose before Game 2 of the 1999 World Series in Atlanta to tell the nation what those who saw as damning evidence believed was true.

Time after time, this prickly Rose refused, which made his act, to borrow a line from the movie ``Kingpin,'' about as fresh as a Foghat concert.

Now, there's a simple, dire scheme in place, and with it, a ``Get Out of Jail'' card from his ``prison'' that will even, believe it or not, put a positive spin on Bud Selig's tenure as commish when he sees fit to lift the lifetime ban (and who knows, maybe even reinstate Shoeless Joe Jackson).

Although the people at Rodale Press insist it's purely coincidental that the book's release comes the same week as the Hall of Fame's announcement of its class of 2004, the truth is that time is running out fast on Rose's attempt to go barreling headfirst into Cooperstown.

Since he retired in 1986, he has only two years left to be voted in by the Baseball Writers Association of America members, who will no doubt do so based on his playing achievements. If that window of opportunity is missed, the only way he can be elected for 2006 or beyond is by members of the grouchy old Veteran's Committee - some of whom are his former teammates, but more of whom are dead set against his inclusion into their private club because of his conduct and have threatened to boycott his enshrinement and forever turn their backs on the hallowed grounds if he's issued a Hall pass.

So what's a desperate man with an orange flat top to do?

He could pull a Charles Barkley and claim he was simply misquoted in his last autobiography (which was written with renowned baseball scribe Roger Kahn). Or he could hire a rewrite man, who this time is Los Angeles-area author Rick Hill.

And he could have his agent, Warren Greene, encourage all kinds of speculation related to the book until the cartons are officially opened and the in-store signing tour launches with stops planned for every city in which sympathy can be summoned (with the help of the local media, of course).

``We like it because it creates excitement around the book,'' Greene told the Cincinnati Post last week about those leaking information. ``I wouldn't assume anything.''

Assume that even more people will whip out their credit cards at the local Barnes and Noble to possess one more piece of Pete Rose memorabilia. The publisher has ordered a huge first-printing of 500,000 copies.

There's no over/under line on how many will be sold, or odds posted on if this will be Rose's final autobiography. Our only sure bet is that this won't be the last time we'll be hustled by ``Charlie Hustle,'' who, even when he's admitting guilt, has found a way to profit.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, box

Photo:

(1) PETE CARROLL

(2) ELL ROBERSON

(3) BILL CALLAHAN

(4) -Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops

(5) no caption (football player holding up trophy)

Box:

Sunday PUNCH