Baseball -- Travis Lee Joins Expansion Arizona -- Slugger From Olympia Signs For Record $10 Million

PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks, who don't even begin playing until 1998, agreed yesterday to the highest contract ever for an amateur baseball player, signing first baseman Travis Lee to a four-year, $10 million deal.

Lee, a 21-year-old native of Olympia, was taken by the Minnesota Twins with the second pick in June's amateur draft, but was declared a free agent Sept. 24 because Minnesota failed to offer a formal contract within 15 days as required by baseball rules.

"I didn't feel I got the respect I should have from the Twins," Lee said at a news conference. "My agent came up to my parents' home in Washington, and when I became a free agent, the whirlwind started about what team I should sign with.

"I went through the motions on a lot of trips. But once I got to Phoenix and got around the Diamondbacks' people, I felt real comfortable. I told my agent, `This is the place I want to be.' "

Lee gets $5 million on signing the contract, $500,000 next June 30, $1 million in 1998, $1.5 million in 1999 and $2 million in 2000. In addition, he will get the minor-league minimum salary of $850 per month.

Arizona will send Lee to the Arizona Fall League and start him next season at High Desert of the Class A California League.

As of Monday, Lee had narrowed offers from 21 teams down to a group that included Florida, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Los Angeles. Among the teams coveting him was the Seattle Mariners.

"Arizona was not on that short list. In the ensuing 48 hours, things changed dramatically," said Jeff Moorad, Lee's agent. "We met their personnel and looked at their stadium under construction, and we were absolutely blown away.

"Ten seconds after we got out of (Diamondback lead owner) Jerry Colangelo's car at the airport, Travis turned to me and said, `This is the team I want to sign with.' We made the deal in a matter of hours."

Lee said, "I know they're an expansion team, and that was one of the downsides at first. There's no tradition. But if I went to the Yankees, people would be always comparing me to Don Mattingly, and I didn't want that. This is a great opportunity to start a new tradition for other people to follow."

Lee, who is 6 feet 3, 205 pounds, will give $200,000 of the signing bonus to charity.

A left-handed hitter with power, Lee batted .355 with 14 homers, 14 doubles, 60 runs batted in and 33 stolen bases in 59 games for San Diego State last season. He starred for the bronze-medal-winning U.S. Olympic team this summer, hitting .382 with 10 RBI in nine games.

"We fully expect him to be our first baseman in 1998," Arizona Manager Buck Showalter said.

Oriole protest denied

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Orioles' protest of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series was unanimously denied by baseball's ruling executive council and AL President Gene Budig.

The council and Budig made the decision during a telephone conference call that lasted less than an hour, choosing not to overrule the blown fan-interference call Wednesday by umpire Rich Garcia.

Notes

-- Third baseman Tim Wallach retired after 16 years in the major leagues. Wallach, 39, a five-time National League All-Star, played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in parts of four different seasons after playing 13 years with the Montreal Expos.

-- Cleveland shortstop Omar Vizquel underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, where torn cartilage caused pain all season.