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Even though Pete Rose may never be in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame for his alleged gambling activities, he's long been honored at the Cincinnati Art Museum in a portrait by Andy Warhol.

And now, even though the Cincinnati Reds can't retire his number or put him in its own Hall of Fame, it will be taking a profit from poster prints of the Warhol works this summer at the Great American Ball Park to benefit the Cincinnati Reds Foundation.

"He is still one of the most popular Reds players ever," said Reds spokesman Michael Anderson, "and there is no conflict with the ban in honoring him in this way."

The poster will be unveiled 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at the Art Museum, and Cincinnati art gallery owner and long-time baseball fan Carl Solway will present "The Art of the Deal," a discussion of how the painting came to be, at 7:30 p.m.

"I was listening to the radio on April 8, 1985, opening day, and heard Joe Nuxhall say that this was going to be the year that Pete Rose would break Ty Cobb's record," he said. "I said to my wife, 'This town is going to go crazy. Wouldn't it be wonderful to get all the sports fans to the Art Museum?'"

So Solway conspired with the museum administration to commission the portrait from Warhol.

"Pete Rose is a great 20th century American icon and Warhol was all about documenting that with portraits of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis Presley," Solway said. "He broke the record the hard way, the right way, without drugs."

Other poster-related events will follow throughout the summer as fans can purchase the poster during all home games at the Great American Ball Park in August and September. Cost is $75 for unframed posters and $500 for signed and framed limited edition posters; the signed prints include a supplemental photo of Pete Rose signing the poster and a fact sheet with its history.

All proceeds benefit the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund and the Cincinnati Art Museum.

CONTACT this reporter at (513) 820-2188 or rjones@coxohio.com.

how to go

WHAT: Unveiling poster version of "Pete Rose" by Andy Warhol

WHERE: Cincinnati Art Museum

WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, followed by "Art of the Deal" with Carl Solway

COST: Free

MORE INFO: (513) 721-2787; www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org