La Russa Signs 2-Year Contract Extension

Despite a losing record in his four seasons as the St. Louis Cardinals’ manager, Tony La Russa was signed to a two-year contract extension Friday.

The move, which keeps La Russa in St. Louis through the 2001 season, had been expected since last spring. It was finalized this week.

La Russa said he was flattered at least three other major league teams asked the Cardinals about his availability this week. But he decided St. Louis was where he belonged.

“I like the fact there’s still some respect around, but I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it because the respect you want to earn is with your ballclub, the organization and the fans,” he said.

La Russa won the National League Central title in his first season in St. Louis in 1996, but the Cardinals have not finished higher than third since.

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George Brett emerged as a potential member of an investment group to buy the Angels. Brett’s brother, Bobby, represents family interests in running minor-league hockey and soccer teams in Spokane, Wash., and minor-league baseball teams in Spokane, El Paso and Adelanto, Calif. Bobby Brett said neither he nor George had been contacted about joining any bid for the Angels and Mighty Ducks but would be interested.

“We’re not the money guys. We don’t have that type of money,” he said. “Would we like to own part of a team or run a team? Yeah.”

The Brett brothers fronted a group that unsuccessfully tried to buy the Kansas City Royals last year.

Broadcom Corp. co-founders Henry T. Nicholas III and Henry Samueli have been searching for majority owners and franchise operators as part of a possible purchase of the Angels and Ducks.

Nicholas, who had discussed an offer of close to $450 million for the Angels and Ducks, said last week that he and Samueli wanted to limit their involvement to minority investment and hoped to find majority owners as well as experienced sports executives to run the teams.

Also, major league baseball plans no disciplinary action against Disney after Nicholas said his group had “looked at the books” of the Angels, in apparent violation of rules that forbid sellers from sharing financial records with potential buyers without major league approval.

Angel President Tony Tavares spoke with Commissioner Bud Selig and told him the Nicholas group had seen general information, not confidential financial statements.

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The Oakland Athletics signed infielder Randy Velarde to a two-year contract. Velarde hit .333 in 61 games with the A’s after being acquired from the Angels. . . . The Cincinnati Reds released catcher Brian Johnson and declined to pick up the option of hard-luck pitcher Mark Wohlers. . . . The Minnesota Twins exercised their $3.5-million option on ace Brad Radke and also said goodbye to Marty Cordova, the 1995 American League rookie of the year.

Phil Garner, fired this season as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, interviewed for the Chicago Cubs’ vacant managerial job. Garner, ousted in August in the midst of Milwaukee’s seventh consecutive losing season, met with Cub President Andy MacPhail and General Manager Ed Lynch. Garner has also interviewed with the Angels. . . . Pitcher Doug Johns of the Baltimore Orioles was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of marijuana after blocking traffic at an interstate highway toll plaza southeast of Baltimore. The arrest was the second for Johns on drug charges since April. . . . The Colorado Rockies agreed to terms with 18-year-old pitcher Tsao Chin-hui of Taiwan.

Staff Writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this story.