Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.sports From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Brett gets apology from Royals owner Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 15:19:55 EST Message-ID: \SE D;SPORTS;BASEBALL;NOTES \SS (WS) \HD Brett gets apology from Royals owner \BY FROM COMBINED DISPATCHES KANSAS CITY, Mo. - George Brett is welcome to return for another season with the Kansas City Royals, club owner Ewing Kauffman said yesterday. Brett said last week someone in the Kansas City Royals organization was pressuring him to retire, and Kauffman acknowledged that Brett had gotten that impression from him during a meeting last week. "I want to publicly apologize to George Brett and the thousands and thousands of baseball fans throughout the country who love to see him play," Kauffman said at a stadium news conference. "The Royals want him to play. George has earned the right to do what he wants to do. If he wants to play, the Royals are happy to have him." Kauffman said he called Brett's wife yesterday to tell her of his apology. Brett was out of town and reportedly playing golf in Arizona. The Royals announced Friday they had exercised their option on Brett's contract, clearing the way for him to return for a 20th season at $2.5 million. But Brett, who has said he would decide during the offseason whether to return, said later he was privately urged to retire. Brett, 39, who reached the 3,000-hit milestone in the last week of the season, was quoted in an interview last week as saying people he had talked with in the Royals' organization "said they thought it would be better to open up a roster spot for someone younger and more deserving. They didn't want me back. Younger. . . . and more deserving? That blew me away." He refused to name the person who was pressuring him to retire. WINFIELD, SMITH FREE AGENTS NEW YORK - Dave Winfield, who helped Toronto win the World Series, filed for free agency and Ozzie Smith joined him after a decade with the St. Louis Cardinals. Four others became free agents, raising the total to a record 115 with six days remaining in the filing period. An additional 41 players are potentially eligible to file. CUBS CUT TIES WITH FREY CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs severed their relationship with former manager and general manager Jim Frey. The Cubs issued a one-sentence statement saying Frey will not be rehired as senior vice president and special player consultant. Frey was named to those roles last fall after he was replaced as general manager by Larry Himes. Frey managed the Cubs from 1984 - when they won the National League East title - through June 1986. He was general manager from 1987-91, including their division-winning season of 1989 under manager Don Zimmer. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM