Baseball HOFers BROOKS ROBINSON and CAL RIPKEN JR. "shared the stage" on Friday at the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation's 13th annual Aspire Gala in Baltimore (Baltimore SUN, 2/25)....GEORGE FOREMAN "headlined the 11-person class" inducted into the Texas Black Sports HOF on Saturday (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/26)....Bears RB JORDAN HOWARD on Friday "presented a $10,000 check to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation in memory of his father" (BEARS.com, 2/24)....Celtics G MARCUS SMART on Saturday visited a YMCA in Flint, Mich., where he spoke to a "group of at least 50 kids." Smart's trip "wasn't a mandatory appearance facilitated by the Celtics organization," as local entrepreneur RAY TYLER "helped make it happen." Tyler "shares a bond with a member of Smart's inner circle and thought it would be great for the youth" (MLIVE.com, 2/25).
IN MEMORY: Longtime Astros Dir of Broadcasting JAMIE HILDRETH has passed away at the age of 72. Hildreth was "one of the constants" of the Astros for 31 years, working for the JOHN MCMULLEN, DRAYTON MCLANE and JIM CRANE ownership groups. Hildreth was in West Palm Beach for Astros Spring Training (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/26).
