George Brett

The Kansas City Royals' George Brett yesterday stole his 200th base, putting him into an exclusive club of players with 200 steals, 3,000 hits and 300 home runs:Player.. .. .. ..SB .. .. ..Hits .. .. .. ..HRHank Aaron .. ..240 .. .. .3,771 .. .. .. .755George Brett ...200 .. .. .3,123 .. .. .. .312Willie Mays .. .338 .. .. .3,283 .. .. .. .660

It may be a good thing the Orioles only face Billy Butler a handful of games each season. The Kansas City Royals designated hitter has been an absolute monster against the O's the past five years. Entering Thursday night's series opener, Butler boasted a .329 average (.564 slugging) with seven home runs and 12 doubles. But through five innings Thursday, the All-Star seems to be outdoing himself. He had a three-run homer in the first inning, a double in the third and a triple in the fifth.

Steve Garvey injures his thumb on July 29, ending his consecutive-games streak at a National League- record 1,207.* George Brett has a home run taken away for having pine tar on his bat more than 18 inches from the knob on July 24 against the New York Yankees.* LaMarr Hoyt goes 13-0 the second half to win the American League Cy Young Award.* Gaylord Perry, Carl Yastrzemski and Johnny Bench all retire.* The Brooklyn Bridge turns 100.* Chicago and Philadelphia elect African-American mayors.

Two rare baseball phenomena are on course to happen so far this season, but, like asteroids that come hurtling into Earth's part of the galaxy, they are unlikely to hit the mark. These two things intersect at 1060 West Addison in Chicago, where the Atlanta Braves are playing the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Chipper Jones, the Braves' superb third baseman, is hitting over .400 for the first third of the season, chasing an elusive mark last achieved by Ted Williams in 1941. And the Cubs, the most championship-famished franchise in the history of major American sports, have the best record in the major leagues, with hopes of capturing their first pennant since 1945 and even - maybe, perhaps - their first world championship since nineteen-aught-eight.

It may be a good thing the Orioles only face Billy Butler a handful of games each season. The Kansas City Royals designated hitter has been an absolute monster against the O's the past five years. Entering Thursday night's series opener, Butler boasted a .329 average (.564 slugging) with seven home runs and 12 doubles. But through five innings Thursday, the All-Star seems to be outdoing himself. He had a three-run homer in the first inning, a double in the third and a triple in the fifth.

It's 5:17 on Monday afternoon, and I'm desperately worried that some guy I don't know is going to draft George Brett or, more specifically, a computer simulation based on George Brett's career statistics. You see, the electronic George is supposed to be the linchpin of my team, A Brave New Beane. If you're far from knowing what I'm talking about, you're probably better off. Fantasy football's bad enough. What I'm about to peddle is the strong stuff. I speak of ESPN Classic Fantasy Baseball, though I could just as easily be talking about Stats Inc.'s Classic Game or Whatifsports.

This "roar of the crowd" stuff is vastly overrated.This weekend, Major League Baseball named a 30-member All-Century team as voted on by fans and a panel of experts. After studying the results, all we can say is: Aah, what do they know?You see, The Sun asked its own distinguished group of voters -- columnist George F. Will, broadcaster Bob Costas, Hall of Fame announcer Ernie Harwell, sportswriters Dave Kindred and Christine Brennan and Sun publisher and long-time fan Michael E. Waller -- for their selections.

Bill Ripken is scheduled to begin his rehabilitation assignment tonight in Frederick when he will be the Class A Keys' designated hitter against Peninsula.Ripken, who has been on the disabled list with a strained ribcage since July 15, may then dabble at second base for the Double A Hagerstown Suns tomorrow night."If he's able, that's the plan," manager John Oates said.* JOHNSON JOLTED: Dave Johnson, the Orioles' starter yesterday in the no-hit 7-0 loss to Chicago, threw 47 pitches in 1 1/3 innings and was battered for eight hits and four runs.

CINCINNATI -- University of Kansas chancellor Gene Budig was off to a promising start yesterday as the new American League president.As he was formally introduced to the media at the owners' meetings, Budig told of his enthusiasm for the designated hitter rule and his support for baseball's realigned divisions. He even said it would be nice to speak to fans and find out what they want from a league president.This was a speech to win the hearts and minds of every AL owner."What fans think about the game is important," Budig said.

Nolan Ryan sat at home writing holiday thank-you notes and trying to treat the day like any other. George Brett stayed inside with his wife, watching the clock and feeling like a prisoner. Robin Yount plopped down in his office, never far removed from a telephone.The calls came for all three players yesterday. And while they may not have arrived at precisely the times they expected, the wait was hardly a long one.In one of the most eagerly awaited Hall of Fame elections in baseball history, all three players were voted into the Cooperstown, N.Y., shrine in their first year of eligibility.

It's 5:17 on Monday afternoon, and I'm desperately worried that some guy I don't know is going to draft George Brett or, more specifically, a computer simulation based on George Brett's career statistics. You see, the electronic George is supposed to be the linchpin of my team, A Brave New Beane. If you're far from knowing what I'm talking about, you're probably better off. Fantasy football's bad enough. What I'm about to peddle is the strong stuff. I speak of ESPN Classic Fantasy Baseball, though I could just as easily be talking about Stats Inc.'s Classic Game or Whatifsports.

This "roar of the crowd" stuff is vastly overrated.This weekend, Major League Baseball named a 30-member All-Century team as voted on by fans and a panel of experts. After studying the results, all we can say is: Aah, what do they know?You see, The Sun asked its own distinguished group of voters -- columnist George F. Will, broadcaster Bob Costas, Hall of Fame announcer Ernie Harwell, sportswriters Dave Kindred and Christine Brennan and Sun publisher and long-time fan Michael E. Waller -- for their selections.

Seven new members of the baseball Hall of Fame are to be enshrined today:George BrettBorn: George Howard Brett on May 15, 1953, in Glen Dale, W.Va.Highlights: Clutch, big-game player. Ranks 13th on career hits list with 3,154. A 13-time All-Star third baseman. Hit .305 in 21-year career, all in Kansas City. Holds Royals records in runs (1,583), hits, doubles, triples, home runs (317) and RBIs (1,595). Hit .370 in taking Royals to only World Series title in 1985. Was ALCS MVP. Won Gold Glove, too. Won AL MVP award in 1980, batting .390 in leading K.C. to its first Series appearance.

Nolan Ryan sat at home writing holiday thank-you notes and trying to treat the day like any other. George Brett stayed inside with his wife, watching the clock and feeling like a prisoner. Robin Yount plopped down in his office, never far removed from a telephone.The calls came for all three players yesterday. And while they may not have arrived at precisely the times they expected, the wait was hardly a long one.In one of the most eagerly awaited Hall of Fame elections in baseball history, all three players were voted into the Cooperstown, N.Y., shrine in their first year of eligibility.

Steve Garvey injures his thumb on July 29, ending his consecutive-games streak at a National League- record 1,207.* George Brett has a home run taken away for having pine tar on his bat more than 18 inches from the knob on July 24 against the New York Yankees.* LaMarr Hoyt goes 13-0 the second half to win the American League Cy Young Award.* Gaylord Perry, Carl Yastrzemski and Johnny Bench all retire.* The Brooklyn Bridge turns 100.* Chicago and Philadelphia elect African-American mayors.

CINCINNATI -- University of Kansas chancellor Gene Budig was off to a promising start yesterday as the new American League president.As he was formally introduced to the media at the owners' meetings, Budig told of his enthusiasm for the designated hitter rule and his support for baseball's realigned divisions. He even said it would be nice to speak to fans and find out what they want from a league president.This was a speech to win the hearts and minds of every AL owner."What fans think about the game is important," Budig said.

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- As Charles Barkley was saying, there is life beyond basketball.Though he and Michael Jordan might just as soon be at Baltusrol when the U.S. Open begins Thursday, feel free to assume that the golfers will be gabbing about the NBA Finals in the locker room, on the practice tee, perhaps even between shots of the season's second major tournament.That's athletes for you. Fred Couples wants to be George Brett. George Brett wants to be Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan wants to be Fred Couples.

Billy Duquette, an 8-year-old from Herndon, Va., climbed on the shoulders of Ed Geiger, a burly Marine and his newfound friend for life. Geiger then climbed on top of a plastic milk carton behind Camden Yards' right-field wall, giving young Billy a perch as precarious as the Orioles' first-place standing.With yesterday's 8-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays' 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox last night, the Orioles' brief moment in the sun was just that. Billy, at least, got down safely.

LOS ANGELES -- George Brett, considered the greatest player in Kansas City Royals history, decided last night that he will retire at the end of this season, according to sources close to Brett.Brett is expected to publicly announce his decision tomorrow in Kansas City.He will remain in the organization as a vice president, accepting a deal that will pay him in excess of $200,000 a year until the year 2000.Brett, 40, was expected to inform Royals general manager Herk Robinson of his decision late last night or this morning.

The Kansas City Royals' George Brett yesterday stole his 200th base, putting him into an exclusive club of players with 200 steals, 3,000 hits and 300 home runs:Player.. .. .. ..SB .. .. ..Hits .. .. .. ..HRHank Aaron .. ..240 .. .. .3,771 .. .. .. .755George Brett ...200 .. .. .3,123 .. .. .. .312Willie Mays .. .338 .. .. .3,283 .. .. .. .660