Brosiums retires, leaving baseball as a Yankee

NEW YORK -- At a time when his fellow free agents are deciding where to play next, waiting anxiously for phone calls, Scott Brosius spent yesterday choosing a puppy in Oregon.

"We always told the kids, 'No pets until we're done playing,' " Brosius said.

They are done now, surprisingly early. Brosius, who was unlikely to return to the Yankees next year, decided that he would end his career as a Yankee. At 35, two years younger than big-time free agent Barry Bonds, the third baseman announced his retirement Tuesday.

"There's a thousand things that go into the decision, but it all boils down to one point: My desire to stay home with my family now is greater now than my desire to play the game," Brosius said in a telephone news conference. "For me, it's all or nothing." He and his wife Jennifer have three children - Allison, who turns 10 next month; 8-year-old Megan; and 5-year-old David.

Brosius' departure from baseball eliminated the slim possibility that the Yankees would bring him back to keep third base warm for prospect Drew Henson, who will likely need more time in the minor leagues.