Brett Is Man With Mission -- Royal Star Determined To Erase 1989 Disappointments

HAINES CITY, Fla. - As his teammates headed for the clubhouse, another spring practice complete, Kansas City Royal first baseman George Brett headed toward right field, accompanied by conditioning coach Bill Ross, who was about to give a private session.

Tee times had been scheduled. The sun was warming a poolside spot for an afternoon of tanning. And pro golfer Larry Zeigler called with an invitation to spend the afternoon enjoying a tournament in nearby Orlando.

They were desirable alternatives for the moment.

At age 36, however, George Brett no longer lives for the moment. The carefree kid from California who used to be able ``to come to the park on two hours' sleep with a headache and get my two or three hits,'' is now a man from Missouri with a mission.

He is no longer the center of attention when the Royals come to town. Not with Bo around. Not with the 1-2 starting combination of Bret Saberhagen and Mark Gubicza. And not with free-agent reliever Mark Davis, one of the 10 $3 million men that baseball welcomed during the winter past.

Brett, however, remains the heart and soul of the Royals.

``He is still the linchpin,'' General Manager John Schuerholz said. ``He's the guy who plays at the higher level in the tougher situations, the difference between the good player and superstar.''

It is a role the organization recognizes and Brett relishes. It is a responsibility that has Brett pushing himself harder than ever to prove in his 17th season that not only can he still do on the field what he once did so well, but the Royals, too, can return to the level of accomplishment that for so long seemed like a matter of course - the American League West title.

Four seasons have passed since the Royals won the 1985 World Series, the end of a 10-year period in which the team also won six divisional crowns.

And for Brett, the disappointments never were greater than the last season. A .282 average, his lowest since he hit .282 as a rookie in 1974; 12 home runs, his fewest in a full season since a 1980 season in which everything else was obscured by his .390 average; 80 runs batted in, seven fewer than his average for the 15 previous seasons.

The career has Hall of Fame potential written across it. He's not a career leader in any category, but his composite line is quite impressive: .310 average, 514 doubles, 120 triples, 287 home runs, 1,311 RBI and 175 stolen bases. Only Brett, Ty Cobb and Lou Gehrig have led the AL in batting average, hits, total bases, doubles, triples, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Brett and Cobb are the only AL players to lead the league three times in hits and triples.

But for Brett, it is the shame of what for so many would be a solid season and to him was an embarrassment that runs across his mind, not a career filled with dramatic moments. It was frustrating to spend a winter with nobody calling for him to make appearances. Even the Royals ignored him when they sent out invitations to the midwinter baseball banquet and the fan caravans, which used to be mandatory for Brett.

There's only one thing Brett can do to erase the memory. He has to have another big year in the summer of '90. He spent the winter doing everything within his power to prepare himself for just that, although there was some time off for surfing expeditions with Jim Obradovich, a high-school pal and former NFL player. Brett came to camp tipping the scales at a solid 190 pounds, a 30-pound drop from when he began offseason conditioning Dec. 1.

Only once before can Brett remember such a winter of dedication - before the 1985 season. That year, he hit .335 with 30 home runs and 112 RBI and produced nearly 30 percent of the Royals' runs. That season ended with the Royals' only world championship.

``Back before 1985, I never worked out much,'' he said. ``I know it bothered people. When Whitey Herzog was the manager (1975-79), he'd tell me I was going to be 40 before I was 30. I take it as a compliment that I'm still playing. It's like Mickey Mantle said, `If I'd have known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself.' Well, if I knew I was going to play this long, I'd have taken better care of myself.''

Better late than never, he says. He still has fun playing the game. He's not ready to pack his bag for the last time. And he's not ready to accept anything less than a ``star-type'' season.

``I don't want to ever hit .280 again,'' he said. ``I started working out Dec. 1, and I got into it. I became so obsessed that my day wasn't complete if I didn't get the workout in. If I was going to play golf at 10 a.m. and had to be somewhere at 5 p.m., I'd be working out at 6 a.m. I watched what I ate, and I didn't go out at night. I got in a routine and didn't want to quit. I started feeling good. My clothes fit better.''

There was the self-motivation that the memories of 1989 presented, and there was the motivation of his family members, something Brett admits was a necessity when he was younger but no longer is needed.

``My dad always pushed me, and so did my three older brothers and so did my mother,'' he said. ``No matter what I did or do, it's not good enough for them. I ran two 10K races this winter for the workout. I wasn't trying to kill myself. But all they'd talk about is how I should have had a better time. If I ran it in 30 minutes, they'd want it to be better.

``It's the way it's always been. I'm the youngest of the four (boys). I grew up lackadaisical in everything I did, school, athletics, everything. My dad saved the articles for each of us since we were little kids. He gave each of us a box this winter with our stuff. I was looking at mine one day, and one thing that was always said in interviews with my mom and dad was, `We worry about what's going to happen to poor George.' They expected my other bothers to make it in baseball, but they'd say, `Poor George. He'll probably still be living at home until he's 50.' ''

Oldest brother John made it through a few minor-league seasons as a catcher in the Boston organization and now is building homes in Southern California. Bobby, the next in line, got a brief shot with the Royals - a favor to George - but found his true calling in investments, including handling George's business matters. Ken was a bright young star in the Boston system who was considered a legitimate prospect as a hitter or pitcher. He opted for pitching, and while he spent all or parts of 15 seasons in the majors, an 83-85 record underscored the mediocrity created by nagging arm problems.

As for poor George . . .

``I have to sit back at times and say, `Geez, I played with this guy, and he's going to be in the Hall of Fame,' '' said Kansas City Manager John Wathan, a teammate of Brett's throughout the Royals' system and a six-year spring training roommate. ``I think you have a tendency when you are around a player like George all the time to take him for granted. But I can tell you, I take him less for granted now than I did when I was a player.

``You see a guy who is 36, going out and working the way he does, doing the extra things, and that sends a message to the kids.''

A message like the one that was served when the young Royals heading for the clubhouse looked over their shoulder after that recent workout and saw Brett, face down, getting tips from Ross on an exercise program Brett can maintain all season.

``After our morning session, he came up to me and said, `I can tell you get a kick out of this, (that) you enjoy it,' '' Brett said. ``He said he had some other things to show me later. I didn't think he'd mean after a full-day workout. I didn't feel like going out there again. We're just a couple of days (into camp), and my body is revolting. But it was just what I needed, that little extra push.''

The little extra push that has Brett hoping he can give the Royals a big push in their bid to overtake Oakland in the AL West this summer.