Basketball scout and writer HOWIE GARFINKEL was honored yesterday with induction into the Capital District HOF in Troy, N.Y., receiving the Barry Kramer Lifetime Achievement Award. Garfinkel made "his basketball name as a scout" and as "an originator of what is now a staple of the basketball development and recruiting universe: the summer camp." Garfinkel and coaches WILL KLEIN and ROY RUBIN in '66 "opened the Five-Star Basketball Camp," which over the years "drew some of the top schoolboy talents in the country," including Basketball HOFers MOSES MALONE, DOMINIQUE WILKINS and MICHAEL JORDAN, and Heat F LEBRON JAMES. The camp also "became a springboard for hundreds of high school coaches," including ESPN's HUBIE BROWN and DICK VITALE. Garfinkel in '05 "sold his stake in the Five-Star Camp," but he is "still in the game." Garfinkel in October "staged his sixth annual Clinic to End All Clinics, in which top Division I college coaches discussed X's and O's with other coaches from high school and college" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/23).
ON THE BLOCK: Former MLBer CHRIS CHAMBLISS will put up for sale the bat and ball from his series-winning hit from Game 5 of the '76 ALCS, in which the Yankees defeated the Royals. Chambliss had “not thought seriously about selling them until he learned that the All-Star Game will be at Citi Field next month and that a memorabilia auction will be part of the All-Star Fan Fest.” Chambliss said, “I’ve enjoyed these pieces for a long time. This is a chance to let the fans enjoy them.” Opening bids for the bat and ball “will be $10,000 to $11,000 each,” but Hunt Auctions President DAVID HUNT said that he “expects more” (N.Y. TIMES, 6/24).
CHARITY STRIPE: Golfer GRAHAM DELAET pledged to donate C$1,000 per birdie and C$2,500 for each eagle he recorded during the PGA Tour Travelers Championship last weekend to aid "flood relief efforts for southern Alberta." DeLaet yesterday had "three birdies to go along with six on Saturday" to raise C$9,000. PGA Tour Canada also "pledged to match DeLaet's contributions, and with donations from ATB Financial and Saskatoon businessman L. DAVID DUBE, C$36,000 had been raised (POSTMEDIA NEWS, 6/23)....The first Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Team Up Challenge saw 20 celebrities at BMO Field "coach about 60 teams which raised more than" C$700,000. The Challenge is a "new charity event created by MLSE in partnership with the Trillium Foundation," with the goal of raising money "needed to send children suffering from cancer to camp for 10 days with their families" (TORONTO SUN, 6/24)....Rams coach JEFF FISHER and Redskins coach MIKE SHANAHAN will be “back helping raise money again for the foundation named for their late friend and former coach MIKE HEIMERDINGER" in the Drive 4 Dinger celebrity golf tournament on Friday and Saturday (AP, 6/22).
NAMES: The Association for Women in Sports Media on Saturday honored LISA OLSON, who received the Mary Garber Pioneer Award at AWSM's 25th convention (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/22)....Yankees P MARIANO RIVERA was honored by the New York Board of Rabbis at its Humanitarian Awards at Capitale last week (N.Y. POST, 6/22)....Actor KEVIN COSTNER yesterday “took a round of batting practice” with the Indians. Costner has been in Cleveland “for weeks” filming the Browns-focused movie “DRAFT DAY” (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 6/24)....FS Ohio broadcaster CHUCK GALETI was “arrested Friday morning for driving while intoxicated” (CLEVELAND.com, 6/21)....SERENA WILLIAMS last Thursday co-hosted a pre-Wimbledon party with fellow tennis players MARIA SHARAPOVA, LAURA ROBSON and HEATHER WATSON to celebrate the WTA’s 40th anniversary (N.Y. POST, 6/22)....The mansion built by former MLBer GARY SHEFFIELD, which appeared in the movie “SPRING BREAKERS," has sold for $2.6M (TAMPABAY.com, 6/21)....CBS’ BILL COWHER yesterday “got into a car accident” on Park Avenue in N.Y. when his car hit “another vehicle that then crashed into scaffolding” (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 6/23).
