Bretts Purchase Second Northwest League Team

There will be no problem with Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett and his three brothers owning two Northwest League baseball clubs, says the league president.

“The only time there will be any conflict is if we have an internal problem within the league and they would have two votes,” Jack Cain said after a group including the Bretts announced it had purchased the Class A Tri-Cities Triplets.

“I think they’ll be friendly competitors,” said Cain.

Tri-Cities Baseball, Inc. officially purchased the franchise from a group headed by Dick Leavitt, who owned the team for the 1985 season.

The majority owner will be John H. Brett, the father of Bobby, Ken, John and George Brett.

The Brett brothers purchased the Spokane Indians last fall.

Ken Brett is a former major league pitcher, minor league manager and a recent addition to the Seattle Mariners television broadcast team. John and Bobby Brett played minor league baseball.

The Triplets suffered an attendance drop of almost 20,000 fans last summer after the team went independent of a major league franchise.

They drew 52,042 during their NWL championship year of 1984, but only 32,424 in 1985.

The Triplets drew 48,896 fans in 1983, when Class A baseball returned after a nine-year absence.

Bobby Brett said the group hopes to gain a player development contract with a major league organization for 1987, which would put the club on a more solid financial footing.

The Triplets have played at Richland High School the last two seasons, and Brett said the stadium must be improved or a new one built.

Bob Lagana, assistant Triplet general manager in 1983, was named general manager.