Schott Agrees to Sell Reds By End of Year

Marge Schott was forced to take the first step toward giving up control of the Cincinnati Reds, agreeing Friday to sell the team by the end of the year rather than face an indefinite suspension.

Schott, often at odds with baseball officials over her inflammatory comments, has been under suspension since June 1996. The ban was due to expire Nov. 1 and baseball gave her a choice: Agree to sell her general partner shares or receive another suspension for using the names of Reds employees in falsified auto sales at her dealership.

Schott was given until Dec. 31 to sell most of her shares. John Allen, who has run the club during her latest punishment, remains the managing executive in the interim.

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On the day Mo Vaughn became a free agent, Albert Belle shook up the market when the Chicago White Sox refused his demand for a $4.25-million raise over three years, making him eligible to sign with any team.

Belle’s sudden freedom overshadowed the 44 players who filed for free agency, a group that included San Diego third baseman Ken Caminiti, the first player to file from one of the World Series teams.

Belle’s contract, a $55-million, five-year deal signed after the 1996 season, contains a unique clause that says within three days after the World Series he may demand that the White Sox keep him among the top three highest-paid players in baseball.

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The Minnesota Twins, determined to reduce a payroll already among baseball’s lowest, will not pick up 1999 options for catcher Terry Steinbach and outfielder Otis Nixon.

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The Baltimore Orioles ended their quest to find a replacement for Pat Gillick by signing Frank Wren to a three-year contract as their general manager.

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The Oakland Athletics triggered a clause giving them a year-to-year lease at the Oakland Coliseum, increasing the likelihood the club will be sold or moved in the near future.

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Sammy Sosa received his nation’s highest honor, the Grand Cross of the Order of Duarte, and had the winter baseball season dedicated to him in the Dominican Republic.