Maybe He’d Hit Better as Chris Gaines

Country music singer Garth Brooks is at it again, having reported to the Kansas City Royals’ spring training camp in Arizona this week. He previously went to spring training with the San Diego Padres in 1998-99 and the New York Mets in 2000.

He does it to raise awareness for his Teammates for Kids Foundation, not because he has a chance to make the squad. Unlike in his music career, the hits don’t keep on coming. He is one for 39 in exhibition games.

“None of these guys want to give up a hit to me,” Brooks told Associated Press. “The first pitch I saw with the Padres was 90 mph. On the second pitch, I started swinging when the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher.”

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Trivia time: Ty Cobb finished his career with a record .366 batting average. Who are the two other major leaguers who played in at least 1,000 games and had career averages above .350?

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Big Apple circus: One day this week the headline on the back page of the New York Post read, “Frost Alert.” It referred to stories inside that claimed Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez had an icy relationship. Another headline said Jeter “Leaves Alex in Wondering Land.”

The next day, the Post’s lead story was about Jeter’s insisting his relationship with Rodriguez was fine. That was followed by George Steinbrenner’s saying, “I just hope all the writers lay off this thing, A-Rod versus Jeter.”

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Traffic cop: Jason Giambi, appearing on Fox Sports Net’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” talked about how to deal with the extra media attention surrounding the Yankees this year.

“You just go, ‘Alex’s locker is right down there,’ ” he said.

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Clueless: Dennis Rodman, no longer with the Long Beach Jam of the ABA, is seeking employment in the NBA. He said on “Best Damn Sports Show Period” that he couldn’t understand why an NBA team wouldn’t want him.

“You put me on a team, I’m going to sell tickets,” he said. “You put me on the bench, I’m going to sell tickets.”

But can he still play?

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Good advice: From KFWB’s Bret Lewis: “Baltimore Raven running back Jamal Lewis has been charged with intent to distribute cocaine in Atlanta. Baltimore Raven linebacker Ray Lewis was tried [and acquitted] of accessory to murder charges -- in Atlanta. A shout out to anyone named Lewis who plays for the Ravens: Stay out of Atlanta!”

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Trivia answer: Rogers Hornsby, .358, and Shoeless Joe Jackson, .356. Note: Hornsby, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals for 13 seasons, became the first National Leaguer with 40 or more home runs when he hit 42 in 1922. Babe Ruth hit 54 in 1920 and 59 in 1921.

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And finally: Hornsby finished his 23-year career with the woebegone St. Louis Browns of the American League. In 1953, the Browns were sold by Bill Veeck to a Baltimore group that moved the club and renamed it the Orioles.

Writer Paul Gallico, upon learning the Browns had been sold, said, “I never realized they were owned.”

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.