THE SIDELINES : Royals Dropping Willie Wilson

Willie Wilson, a one-time batting champion and Kansas City Royals outfielder for 13 seasons, will not be offered a contract for next season, the club announced today.

Wilson, 35, who filed for free agency last week, is the third veteran to be cut from the roster. The club notified Royals second-baseman Frank White, 40, and catcher Bob Boone, 42, earlier that they would not be offered 1991 contracts.

Wilson was supplanted as the everyday center fielder last season but played in 115 games and hit .290 and led the Royals in stolen bases with 24.

Wilson was the Royals’ first selection in the 1974 June free agent draft and compiled a .290 career batting average with 1,968 hits and 612 stolen bases. He won the American League batting title with a .332 average in 1982 and led the majors with a career-high 83 stolen bases in 1979.