STACEY AUGUST, mother of Tigers 1B PRINCE FIELDER and ex-wife of former MLBer CECIL FIELDER, is writing a book entitled "STEALING HOME ON A FIELDER'S CHOICE." The book is expected to be available online and in bookstores this spring (DETROIT NEWS, 3/21)....SI.com's Andy Staples noted former agent JOSH LUCHS in his new book, "ILLEGAL PROCEDURE: A SPORTS AGENT COMES CLEAN ON THE DIRTY BUSINESS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL," offers a "humble suggestion that would solve many of the issues that cause so much frustration for the NCAA's enforcement staff" (SI.com, 3/20)....N.Y. publishing company Right Fit Reading yesterday released the first-to-print unauthorized biography of Knicks G JEREMY LIN, "FROM THE END OF THE BENCH TO STARDOM" (THE DAILY).
NAMES: FORTUNE magazine, in its list of the "World's Most Admired Companies," ranked Nike at No. 26 (FORTUNE, 3/19 issue). In California, Kimberly Pierceall notes Dodgers Special Assistant TOMMY LASORDA "sided with the city of Ontario" (Calif.) in its struggle with L.A. for control of Ontario Int'l Airport. Lasorda appears in a two-minute commercial, saying "C'mon LA! Let's set Ontario free" (Riverside PRESS-ENTERPRISE, 3/22). Redskins Owner DAN SNYDER, coach MIKE SHANAHAN, Exec VP & GM BRUCE ALLEN and offensive coordinator KYLE SHANAHAN were at a Hooters in Waco, Texas Tuesday night, and were reportedly with NFL Draft prospect QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/21)....Patriots QB TOM BRADY and Rangers LW SEAN AVERY reportedly attended Audemars Piguet's black-tie gala at the Park Avenue Armory last night in N.Y. (N.Y. POST, 3/21)....ESPN's ERIN ANDREWS celebrated St. Patrick's Day at Southern Hospitality Hell's Kitchen on Saturday, while former MLBer DARRYL STRAWBERRY sat at another table with 49ers WR MARIO MANNINGHAM (N.Y. POST, 3/21).
IN MEMORY: The Chicago Sun-Times' first African-American sportswriter LACY BANKS died yesterday at the age of 68. Beginning in '08, Banks became his "own journalism subject, chronicling his health battles with prostate cancer, a brain tumor and heart disease in blogs he wrote for the Sun-Times." Banks was the "longest-serving sportswriter on the Sun-Times' staff," remaining on staff until his death (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/22)....Former NFL coordinator RON ERHARDT died yesterday at the age of 80 in Boca Raton, Fla. Erhardt is the father of ESPN President of Customer Marketing & Sales ED ERHARDT (THE DAILY).
