The Baseball Writers Association of America yesterday announced that the Detroit News’ TOM GAGE has been voted into the writers’ wing of the Baseball HOF. Gage, who has covered the Tigers for the newspaper since ’79, “won in the closest vote” since ’02. He “received 167 votes to 161 for the late FURMAN BISHER of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.” Boston Globe columnist DAN SHAUGHNESSY “finished with 134.” Gage becomes the “first Detroit News writer to enter the Hall since the late JOE FALLS” in ’01 (DETROIT NEWS, 12/10).
CORPORATE INTRIGUE: ESPN's Darren Rovell reports Nike is “suing three former designers who had left the company, alleging they used Nike’s trade secrets to sell themselves” to adidas. The lawsuit alleges that "some of its biggest designers, DENIS DEKOVIC, MARC DOLCE and MARK MINER, while still employees to Nike, began to build a blueprint to replicate Nike’s famous Innovation Kitchen and stole secrets from inside its walls to take elsewhere.” The suit asks for more than $10M in damages and “alleges that before the three left Nike, they were already consulting” with adidas (ESPN.com, 12/10).
SPREADING THE WEALTH: The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation “will get an infusion” of more than $1B from the sale of the Bills and “expects to use it to start making major grants” in ’16. The foundation said that “while the Buffalo and Detroit areas would be a primary focus of its work, other money will go elsewhere.” Sources previously said that the foundation “would focus its work exclusively in the Buffalo and Detroit regions.” A foundation spokesperson said that the “commitment to the two cities would be ‘significant’” (BUFFALO NEWS, 12/10).
NAMES: Adweek named Time Inc. Sports Group Editor PAUL FICHTENBAUM its Magazine Editor of the Year. SI under Fichtenbaum has “become one of the most innovative brands at Time Inc.,” and the “remade SI.com has introduced a slew of edit franchises covering everything from lifestyle to fantasy sports” (ADWEEK, 12/8 issue)....The Baltimore Business Journal named Orioles VP/Corporate Partnerships MARCO GENTILE to its 40 Under 40 list for ’14 (BALTIMORE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/5 issue)....UFC fighter RONDA ROUSEY’s memoir, "MY FIGHT/YOUR FIGHT," has been acquired by publisher Regan Arts. The memoir is “scheduled to come out in May and will be co-written by Rousey's sister, MARIA BURNS ORTIZ, a sports journalist” (AP, 12/9)....Actor CUBA GOODING JR. will portray O.J. SIMPSON in an FX miniseries titled “AMERICAN CRIME STORY: THE PEOPLE VS. O.J. SIMPSON,” about his ’95 murder trial (CHICAGOSUNTIMES.com, 12/9)....NHL Kings LW MARIAN GABORIK has purchased a Manhattan Beach, Calif., home for $5.55M (LATIMES.com, 12/9).
