THE SIDELINES : No ‘Lifetime,’ Royals Owner Says
Royals co-owner Ewing Kauffman doesn’t want to get saddled with the lifetime contracts of some Kansas City players if he sells the team.
“I’m not going to guarantee them. Period,” Kauffman said in an interview published in today’s Kansas City Star.
The club’s other 50% owner, real estate developer Avron B. Fogelman, is struggling financially and has proposed a deal for Kauffman to help bail him out in exchange for Fogelman’s share of the team.
First baseman George Brett, center fielder Willie Wilson and former Royals’ pitcher Dan Quisenberry have signed guaranteed lifetime contracts that include real estate deals with Fogelman. Fogelman is obligated to pay any shortfall arising from the real estate portion of the contracts. Fogelman’s creditors want him released from that obligation and replaced by Kauffman.
Kauffman told the newspaper, “That just doesn’t make sense to me because I don’t know if I’ll continue to own the Royals.”
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
