THE SIDELINES : Royals’ Co-Owner Denies Report

A published report that Kansas City Royals owner Ewing Kauffman has taken over the team from co-owner Avron Fogelman is inaccurate, the Royals and Fogelman said today.

“All I can do is . . . confirm that it is inaccurate,” said Royals spokesman Dean Vogelaar. “There has been no settlement.”

Fogelman also denied the report. “I do own half the Kansas City Royals, and there is no validity to the rumor,” Fogelman said from his Memphis office.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reported today that Kauffman had loaned $35 million to Fogelman and had taken Fogelman’s 50% share of the Royals as collateral with the idea of regaining complete control of the team. The Capital-Journal cited an unnamed source.