BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Brett Still Can Keep Pitches in Sight

George Brett has won three batting titles and has a .311 lifetime average.

He also has eye problems.

A routine examination determined that the Kansas City Royals’ 37-year-old first baseman has a problem with depth perception--except when he is in his batting stance.

Brett won’t need glasses.

“It turned out that George has learned to compensate for the slight depth-perception problem by the way he holds his head in his stance,” said Steve Joyce, the Royals’ team physician. “It’s amazing. When he was tested in his stance, he could line things up exactly.”

John Smoltz, who was 14-11 with a 3.65 earned-run average for the Atlanta Braves last season, stayed away from spring camp Friday, apparently in protest of the club’s renewal of his contract a day earlier. Smoltz reportedly was seeking a one-year deal worth about $485,000, but the Braves renewed his contract at $355,000. . . . After meeting with Oakland General Manager Sandy Alderson, outfielder Rickey Henderson took a less-combative stance on his contract situation despite no sign that the Athletics will meet his demand to be one of the five highest-paid players in baseball. “He (Alderson) understands that I’m not the 30th or 40th player. That’s a good sign,” said Henderson, who is in the second year of a four-year, $12-million contract. “At least I got something off my chest, and I listened to Sandy. It wasn’t through my agent. It was man to man.”