In L.A., Mike DiGiovanna reports longtime Angels physician DR. LEWIS YOCUM died yesterday at the age of 65 "after quietly battling liver cancer." Yocum, who was "in his 36th season with the Angels," was "considered, with noted Alabama surgeon DR. JAMES ANDREWS, a leading expert on the elbow reconstruction procedure known as Tommy John surgery." Among Yocum's "recent prominent pitching prospects" were Nationals Ps STEPHEN STRASBURG and JORDAN ZIMMERMANN and Red Sox P JOHN LACKEY. In addition to the 75-100 Tommy John surgeries he "performed each year, Yocum operated on the shoulders, knees and ankles of numerous players" (L.A. TIMES, 5/29). Also in L.A., J.P. Hoornstra writes Yocum's illness was "kept hidden from colleagues." Many Angels players and staff members "didn't learn Yocum had died" until yesterday morning, when the team announced the news to the public (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 5/29). Reds VP/Scouting, Player Development & Int'l Operations BILL BAVASI said, "I would put his significance to sports medicine with anybody. Anybody." USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale notes Yocum "never spent a day on a pitcher's mound, put on a uniform or held a radar gun in the stands, but he has been an integral part to a whole lot of World Series parade routes" (USA TODAY, 5/29).
SCHOOL TIES: In N.Y., Matt Krupnick examined Padres investor ALFREDO HARP HELU's La Academia de Beisbol Alfredo Harp Helu in Mexico, and the "sparkling school has seven baseball fields, a weight room, trainers, dormitories, even custom-made artwork by local potters." Harp's plan, in part, was to "prepare" boys from Oaxaca for major league careers. It may be "impossible to overstate Harp's enthusiasm for baseball." His stamp museum in Oaxaca "opened a baseball-related exhibition in May, with stamps borrowed" from fellow Padres investor PETER O'MALLEY. The school "sends players primarily" to Harp's two teams in the MiLB Triple-A Mexican League and the Mexican League's academy near Monterrey, but MLB teams "have taken note." Padres Senior VP/Baseball Operations OMAR MINAYA said, "I think what he has built there is the No. 1 academy in Latin America" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/26).
COURT REPORT: Former Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing mechanic SCOTTY MERRYMAN on Friday filed a lawsuit against the team in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana "alleging sexual and religious harassment." Merryman claimed that he was the "victim of sex- and religious-based discrimination, retaliation for complaining about harassment, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wrongful discharge" (INDYSTAR.com, 5/28)....Federal prosecutors “plan to seek a prison term of one year and one day” for former Fiesta Bowl President & CEO JOHN JUNKER, who last year “pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge stemming from his role in an illegal campaign-finance scheme” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 5/26).
AWARDS & HONORS: Fast Company magazine named NFL VP/Consumer Products & Apparel TRACEY BLECZINSKI and NBA Int'l President HEIDI UEBERROTH as two of their “100 Most Creative People in Business” (FAST COMPANY, 6/'13 issue)....PRESIDENT OBAMA for the second time will serve as the Honorary Chair at the Presidents Cup (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 5/24)....Univ. of Tennessee women’s basketball coach emeritus PAT SUMMITT, Basketball HOFer DAVID ROBINSON and former U.S. women’s basketball player TERESA EDWARDS will be inducted into the FIBA HOF on June 19 (AP, 5/27).
NAMES: NLL Toronto Rock Owner & President JAMIE DAWICK yesterday was named NLL Exec of the Year (CP, 5/28)....Yankees President RANDY LEVINE reportedly resigned from the ASPCA BOD “after internal disagreements over the direction of the historic humane society” (N.Y. POST, 5/29)….Former MISL Milwaukee Wave Owner JIM LINDENBERG has “bought a majority interest” in Wisconsin-based sports memorabilia company Legends of the Fields (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 5/29)....A number of Orioles players along with manager BUCK SHOWALTER yesterday visited wounded veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (BALTIMORESUN.com, 5/28)….Trail Blazers and Seahawks Owner PAUL ALLEN and his band THE UNDERTHINKERS will “release their debut album Aug. 6.” Allen "co-wrote every song and plays guitar on every track” of the “Everywhere At Once” album (OREGONLIVE.com, 5/25)….Dodgers CF MATT KEMP on Monday “had a good talk” with fan JOSH JONES. Kemp “gave his shirt, hat and shoes" to Jones earlier this month and “made good on his word to fly Jones and his family to a Dodgers game” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 5/28)….Celtics F JARED SULLINGER, President RICH GOTHAM, TD Garden host WILLIE MAYE, Boston school superintendent CAROL JOHNSON and former players WALTER MCCARTY and DANA BARROS attended an end-of-year celebration for 1,500 middle schoolers at Northeastern Univ.’s Matthews Arena (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/26).
