Even before Mike Schmidt began speaking, the fans were getting loud, knowing what was coming.

“We want Pete! We want Pete!” they chanted, without any prompting. “We want Pete! We want Pete!”

From fold-out chairs and blankets 300 yards away they clamored, waving red hats and waiting for Schmidt to say what he promised he would. And Schmidt, so often booed during his career in Philadelphia, did not disappoint them Sunday.

Instead, Schmidt turned his Hall of Fame podium into a pulpit to promote Pete Rose, telling the biggest induction crowd ever it was time to make a place for baseball’s career hits leader.

“I think Philadelphia fans wanted and needed to hear someone say something about that issue,” Schmidt said later, after the cheering crowd had gone home.

Wearing a No. 14 lapel pin to honor his former teammate, Schmidt twice mentioned Rose during a 20-minute speech. While growing up in Dayton, Ohio, he remembered, his grandmother would always tailor his pants to match the style worn by her favorite player, a young second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds.

“I join her and millions of baseball fans in hoping someday soon, someday very soon, Pete Rose will be standing right here,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt’s references to Rose drew large ovations from the crowd, estimated at 25,000-28,000, mostly from Philadelphia and many who rode the 200 tour buses that made the 4-1/2-hour trek. Those fans surely recalled Rose’s time in town, when he helped spark the Phillies to the only World Series championship they ever won.

“It’s great we see eye-to-eye on something, isn’t it, Philadelphia?” Schmidt said.

Schmidt also said it was time to put to settle his contentious relationship with Philadelphia fans. Despite the fact that he helped lead the Phillies to their only World Series championship in 1980, Schmidt often was booed by the hometown fans.

There were sporadic bursts of “We want Pete!” throughout the two-hour ceremonies. They started up again when Richie Ashburn, one of five men being inducted in the Hall, said there were several players who should be considered, including Ron Santo, Nellie Fox and Rusty Staub.

But there was absolutely no reac tion - no smiles, no hand claps, no nothing - from 30 previously elected Hall of Famers who sat stone silent around Schmidt. Before Schmidt was introduced, Johnny Bench was heard by at least two photographers in front of him to mutter “you can have him” when the crowd chanted for Rose.

Rose and Bench, who played on the Big Red Machine in the 1970s, had a falling out after Rose ran into problems that led to him being banned from baseball, thereby making him ineligible for election to the Hall.

Schmidt, whose 548 home runs for Philadelphia rank seventh in major league history, was elected last January on the first ballot by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Ashburn, a .308 career hitter mostly with the Phillies, Negro Leagues star Leon Day, turn-of-the-century pitcher Vic Willis and key N.L. founder William Hulbert were voted in by the Veterans Committee in March. Day died six days after being selected.

Rose actually was in Cooperstown on Friday and Saturday, signing autographs a few blocks from baseball’s shrine, but left town about 24 hours before the ceremonies, which were held in a grassy field about a mile away.

As much as Rose admired Schmidt and helped spur him in becoming arguably the game’s greatest all-around third baseman in history, he said he wanted to clear out of Cooperstown to avoid detracting from his friend’s big day.

Hall of Fame vice president Bill Guilfoile said Rose had been mentioned in past induction speeches, although never as prominently and strongly as by Schmidt. The Hall museum features about 10 exhibits involving Rose.

“Pete’s been terrific to the Hall of Fame,” Guilfoile said. “There never has been a player who’s been more cooperative than Pete.”