GARTH BROOKS SPRINGS INTO ACTION

Garth Brooks has come out of baseball retirement. The country music star will spend just over a week participating in spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates, reporting Monday with the pitchers and catchers. The 57 year old has previously been in the camps of the San Diego Padres in 1999, New York Mets in 2000 and Kansas City Royals in 2004. Brooks is returning briefly to the sport to mark the 20th anniversary of the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation, which has raised more than one hundred million dollars for children’s charities and pairs children with professional athletes. Brooks was a Pirates fan despite growing up in Oklahoma.