In DC, Adam Kilgore noted former Nationals Special Assistant JOSE RIJO said that he is "suing the team." Rijo was the team's "face of their Latin American operations," but his role "vanished when the team placed him at the center of the controversy surrounding the prospect once known as ESMAILYN GONZALEZ who had lied ... about his identity and his age." Rijo noted that the Nationals "never told him why he had been fired, that they owe him money -- both salary and payments for the use of his training complex -- and that they defamed him" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/12)....Former White Sox Senior Dir of Player Personnel DAVID WILDER Friday "pleaded guilty to a crime arising from federal charges that he took $402,000 in kickbacks from Latin American baseball players as they were signed to professional contracts." Wilder "admitted to one count of mail fraud" in U.S. District Court in Chicago (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 2/11).
PLANNING FOR THE MOVE: In New Jersey, Al Iannazzone profiles Nets Dir of Basketball Operations MILTON LEE, who is in the first year in the role and is "very involved in the planning of the Barclays Center, including the locker room of the Nets' future home in Brooklyn." Lee also is "in the process of creating an all-in-one, user-friendly database that will provide Nets coaches and executives with everything they need to know about any player, including medical history, contract information, the latest articles and overall and situational statistics." Lee previously worked for 10 years as a "Wall Street trader, and that background is helping him now" (Bergen RECORD, 2/14).
ON RETAINER: The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has retained California-based attorney NATHAN HOCHMAN, who specializes in "representing individuals and organizations involved in state and federal criminal investigations." The hiring "comes amid a state Attorney General's Office inquiry into whether Fiesta Bowl staff members made illegal campaign contributions." The IRS "would not confirm or deny Friday that it was investigating the Fiesta Bowl" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/12).
THERE IT GOES: Yankees TV announcer MICHAEL KAY and WPIX-NBC's JODI APPLEGATE were married Saturday at The Plaza in N.Y. Attendees included Yankees manager JOE GIRARDI, co-Chair & Managing General Partner HAL STEINBRENNER, YES Network's AL LEITER, DAVID CONE and JOHN FLAHERTY, former N.Y. Mayor RUDY GIULIANI, NBC anchor BRIAN WILLIAMS and actor DANNY AIELLO, Kay's uncle (N.Y. POST, 2/13).
NAMES: Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve National Chair JAMES REBHOLZ announced that ESPN/ABC Sports President GEORGE BODENHEIMER signed a Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve on Feb. 6. The signing ceremony occurred at pre-Super Bowl festivities in front of service members and invitees (ESGR)....NASCAR Nationwide Series driver MICHAEL ANNETT, who on Feb. 6 was "charged with DWI, failure to reduce speed, texting while driving and resisting an officer," on Friday was placed on probation by NASCAR "for the entire season." Annett also "will be evaluated by a certified substance abuse professional at NASCAR's discretion and will be subject to random alcohol and drug testing." Annett: "I'm owning up to everything I did. There's no excuse for it" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/13)....Actor, director and producer FISHER STEVENS has been in Rock Hill, S.C., "working on a documentary centered around" JADEVEON CLOWNEY, "the nation's No. 1 high school football recruit." KELLY HEFNER, the producer of the untitled documentary, said that it will debut at the Toronto Film Festival "in the late summer or early fall, where a general release date will be determined" (Rock Hill HERALD, 2/13)....NFL Network’s DEION SANDERS has listed his 29,122-square-foot house in Prosper, Texas, for $21M, even though an appraisal of the 13-bathroom estate values it at only $5.6M (MYFOXHOUSTON.com, 2/11).
IN MEMORY: Longtime Indianapolis Motor Speedway announcer TOM CARNEGIE died Friday at the age of 91. Carnegie called 61 Indy 500s before retiring in ’06. His family will hold a private funeral, but “plans are being made for a public gathering in his honor” this week at IMS’ start/finish line (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/12). ESPN.com’s John Oreovicz wrote with his “crisp and distinctive baritone,” Carnegie was “as much a part of IMS legend or tradition as any car or driver who ever competed at the famous Speedway.” IndyCar and NASCAR team Owner CHIP GANASSI: “Tom was an icon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ... The whole racing community mourns his passing” (ESPN.com, 2/11).
