CINCINNATI --An all-star softball game could be the last public event in Cinergy Field, the 32-year-old home of the Cincinnati Reds scheduled to be demolished later this year.

The softball game, billed as ''Farewell to Riverfront/Cinergy Field'' is set for Sept. 23, the day after the Reds' last regular season home game.

Former Reds stars Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and George Foster have signed on for the game. The former Reds will face an all-star team from the same era. Promoter Marty Garafalo said Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith and Steve Garvey have agreed to play.

The game will not be affiliated with Major League Baseball, which has placed a lifetime ban on Rose for gambling.

The game could be the last public event in stadium unless the Reds make the playoffs. The team finishes its regular season on the road.

Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, who has been the driving force in bringing the event to the county-owned stadium, said it will be a fitting send-off for Cinergy Field.

Terry Evans, Hamilton County's assistant director of stadiums, said the contract has yet to be signed but that only minor issues remain.

He said the county will receive $30,000 in rent plus $1 from each ticket sold up to $55,000. The cost of tickets has not been determined. The Associated Press