In Seattle, Geoff Baker notes Mariners Minority Owner CHRIS LARSON "has been cast as a savior by some long-suffering Northwest baseball fans." They "envisioned the former Microsoft star programmer, a media-shy multimillionaire, swooping in and rescuing the last-place team by buying out majority owner HIROSHI YAMAUCHI, the Japanese billionaire whose absentee status and seeming indifference has been a sore spot locally." But Baker notes that plan "relied entirely on Larson's wealth, which he is now struggling to hold on to." Larson's divorce from wife JULIA CALHOUN "reveals serious financial struggles that raise doubts about his ability to fund the Mariners and remain their largest owner this side of the Pacific." Court documents show that the Microsoft stock portfolio "used to build Larson's fortune and finance a lavish lifestyle has been largely depleted" (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/7).
ON THE DOCKET: MLB Giants P TIM LINCECUM is being sued by his former landlord, who alleges he "trashed his townhouse" in S.F.'s Mission District, causing at least $200,000 in damage. The landlord is seeking $350,000 in damages. Lincecum's agent, RICK THURMAN, "called the suit frivolous" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/7)....A settlement agreement shows that former Univ. of Memphis men's basketball coach JOHN CALIPARI and Bulls G DERRICK ROSE agreed in May to "pay a total of $100,000 to the three attorneys" who claimed to represent UM season-ticket holders from the '07-08 basketball season. Calipari also agreed to donate his bonus, worth an estimated $232,000 to the UM scholarship fund. The attorneys had threatened to sue Calipari, Rose and UM AD R.C. JOHNSON before reaching the settlement (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 10/7)....A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit brought against Nets CEO BRETT YORMARK by an ex-girlfriend who alleged that he "fraudulently induced her to have an abortion" (Bergen RECORD, 10/7).
LENDING A HAND: The Braves have partnered with the Anti Defamation League to distribute English and Spanish anti-bullying PSAs to schools and other programs who are part of the No Place For Hate Campaign. The 30- and 60-second English versions feature 3B CHIPPER JONES, P TIM HUDSON, C BRIAN MCCANN and RF JASON HEYWARD. The Spanish spots feature LF MARTIN PRADO (Braves)....Redskins CB DEANGELO HALL, WR DONTE STALLWORTH and TE FRED DAVIS taped pro-DC rights segments as part of DC Mayor VINCENT GRAY's campaign for city autonomy. Gray and DC advocates are "making their push for full budged autonomy and voting rights in Congress as part of festivities ahead of the Oct. 16 dedication" of the MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. National Memorial (WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/7).
NAMES: F1 Management Chair BERNIE ECCLESTONE has spent approximately US$1.54M, or £1M, to ensure victims of the March tsunami in north-eastern Japan get to see Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix. Ecclestone has bought 3,000 tickets at an average price of US$458 "for a three-day pass for the Suzuka circuit" (London INDEPENDENT, 10/7)....Former Univ. of Tennessee AD MIKE HAMILTON announced that he will work as President of the U.S. Operations for the Nashville-based Blood:Water Mission, a nonprofit that "works to provide clean water and to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 10/7)....49ers VP/Football Affairs KEENA TURNER will receive a '11 Community Impact Award, presented by the Bay Area Blacks In Philanthropy, on Oct. 12 at Stanford Univ. (MERCURYNEWS.com, 10/6)....Bulls F LUOL DENG, who grew up in Brixton, London, is “one of four featured on the Brixton Pound, a complimentary currency to the pound sterling in England” (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 10/6)....Nuggets F KENYON MARTIN’s Denver home recently sold for $1.99M. Martin bought the house for $3.5M in ’04 (DENVER POST, 10/6).
