Names In The News

In N.Y., Billy Witz profiles Yankees Assistant GM MICHAEL FISHMAN, whose ability to "solve problems, and the mastery of data to predict performance," have made him one of Senior VP & GM BRIAN CASHMAN's "trusted deputies." Fishman oversees one of MLB's largest analytics staffs, but when the team hired him in '05, he "was their analytics department." It has since "grown to include seven analysts, five system developers and several interns" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/25).

MOTOR CITY MAN: Palace Sports & Entertainment Vice Chair ARN TELLEM, a year after accepting the job, said that he "has never been happier." Tellem: "I was at a stage of my life where I wanted more, something that could effectuate more change to a larger number of people. The great thing about the agent business was the one-on-one relationships. I was very proud advising them and trying to steer them into making the right decisions in their lives." Tellem added that he is "more connected to the greater Detroit community in his first 12 months here than he was in the more than 30 years he lived" in L.A. (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/24).

CHARITY STRIPE: Brewers C JONATHAN LUCROY and Cubs 1B ANTHONY RIZZO are joining with USA Today Network-Wisconsin, Aurora Health Care and Milwaukee-based Roundy's Supermarkets for the "Cancer Knows No Borders campaign." The 16-week effort launched Friday (JSONLINE.com, 7/22)....Dolphins WR JARVIS LANDRY on Friday held his second annual "Jarvis Landry Give Back" mentoring event, which "hosted roughly 100 boys from around St. James Parish" at Lutcher High School in Louisiana (NOLA.com, 7/22)....Titans TE DELANIE WALKER on Friday partnered with Tennessee-based Neighborhood Health to "provide free dental exams for 50 children in Nashville." The event was the second part of Walker's charitable "back2schoolblitz," a day after he "provided backpacks and school supplies to inner-city kids in Nashville" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 7/23)....Stars RW PATRICK EAVES for the second straight year won the annual Smashfest Ping-Pong tournament on Thursday in Toronto. Several current and former NHLers, including Panthers D AARON EKBLAD, also "participated in the event at Steam Whistle Brewery" to raise money for cancer research (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/22)....Lions WR MARVIN JONES "hosted his first football camp Friday." Jones at his Football ProCamp "helped tutor about 180 kids in grades 1-8" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/23).

NAMES: The grand opening of JACK NICKLAUS' Golden Bear Grill at the Ft. Lauderdale Int'l Airport will be held Wednesday. The restaurant is an "exclusive license agreement between Delaware North and the Nicklaus Companies." A second restaurant is set to open in Charleston, S.C., this summer (USA TODAY, 7/25)....A source said that Fantex, which "offers tracking stocks on athletes," raised about $60M in a private placement. The source added that UBS "led the deal." The source noted that Fantex "currently has agreements with 20 athletes" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/22)....Atlanta-based artist ROSS ROSSIN has been "tapped to create the new HANK AARON statue for SunTrust Park" (AJC.com, 7/25)....Trail Blazers G DAMIAN LILLARD "performed in a special concert" Friday night for fans at adidas Basketball's #LVL3 experience at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The concert included a fellow adidas endorser -- Rockets G JAMES HARDEN (CSNNW.com, 7/23)....Cubs CF ALBERT ALMORA JR. "took advantage of the team's day off Thursday" and got married. Cubs 3B KRIS BYRANT, SS ADDISON RUSSELL, P JUSTIN GRIMM and LF KYLE SCHWARBER were all "reportedly in the courthouse for the ceremony" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/23).