Anderson Hopes to Avoid Surgery

Baltimore Oriole outfielder Brady Anderson has appendicitis, but still hopes he won’t need surgery that would force him to miss six weeks.

“I’m going to try to avoid surgery at all costs,” he said. “As someone who wants to miss as few games as possible, I’m going to try to avoid the surgery. But you don’t want to be stupid about it either.”

Anderson, who led the major leagues with 31 homers before missing the past two games, said two ultrasounds confirmed an inflamed appendix. But he will visit the doctor again to discuss the proper treatment.

“Hopefully, it doesn’t get any worse,” he said. “Even if it gets better, I may have to have surgery down the line, I’m not sure.”

Anderson said that the pain had gotten so intense he couldn’t sleep on Thursday night and on Friday he couldn’t bend over. He visited a doctor during the day and stayed in the hospital overnight for observation.

He was released Saturday morning but stayed in his hotel room all day sleeping.

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John Allen, who took over for Cincinnati Reds’ owner Marge Schott as the team’s interim chief executive officer, won’t be Schott’s choice to keep the job for the next two-plus seasons.

The Cincinnati Enquirer on Saturday quoted Allen as saying he was informed of that development in a memo from Schott that he found on his desk after returning from the All-Star Game last week in Philadelphia.

Schott designated Allen to serve as interim CEO for 60 days when baseball--upset with objectionable remarks by Schott in interviews--forced her on June 12 to give up day-to-day control of the Reds through the 1998 season.

Allen’s reign is set to end Aug. 11.

“That disappoints me, sure,” he told the newspaper. “But we still have a few days left before Aug. 11. Until Aug. 11, I’m still going to go forward and be professional about it.”

Allen, who had been the Reds’ controller, quickly distanced himself from Schott’s thrifty management style. He hired bands to play at Riverfront Stadium, allowed fans to run the bases after Sunday games and has offered discount tickets to three games.

He also started allowing General Manager Jim Bowden to travel with the team on road games--as other big-league clubs do.

Schott reportedly was upset about the discount ticket offers. She has declined to speak with reporters since her punishment began.