Few people "had as much direct impact on producing the tools" of baseball as DANNY LUCKETT, whose 46-year tenure as the "longest-serving bat maker for Louisville Slugger came to an end on Friday, when he retired." Luckett is "believed to have made more than two million bats" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/28). Luckett was the company's "last link to pre-automation bat-making, to the art of shaping wood into baseball weaponry as a delicate, painstaking and labor-intensive process." There is "no one left at the Main Street factory with the skill set and experience to make a bat to big-league specifications without the aid of a computer" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 6/27).
COUGAR TOWN: Houston AD HUNTER YURACHEK can "earn significant pay increases for reaching fundraising thresholds involving two major projects" at the university. His five-year contract "includes one-time, base-salary increases of $25,000 each" for securing 100% funding "for the renovation" of Hofheinz Pavilion ($60M) and construction of an indoor football facility ($20M). Yurachek can "receive one-time payments of $30,000" for securing 50% of "written pledges for the two projects." He also "can make an additional $200,000 annually for reaching certain incentives based on success in the classroom, conference titles and postseason appearances, season-ticket sales, attendance and fundraising" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/29).
NAMES: Dodger Stadium Head Chef DAVE PEARSON has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and has been “out for nearly a month after his cancer treatment -- a twice-daily chemotherapy pill -- was compounded by back problems.” But he has been told by Levy Restaurants, the Dodger Stadium concessionaire, “that his job is safe.” He is “hoping to be back in the kitchen for the upcoming homestand” (L.A. TIMES, 6/28)....ESPN’s JALEN ROSE, former NBAer DERRICK COLEMAN and Basketball HOFer DAVE BING on Saturday made an appearance at the "Full Court Press: Prep for Success" youth basketball and mentoring program in Detroit. The program is a “collaboration between the National Basketball Retired Players Association, the NBA and the Police Athletic/Activities League” (FREEP.com, 6/27)....Blackhawks RW PATRICK KANE on Saturday night “took the Stanley Cup” to JIMMY BUFFETT's concert at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/29)....Former Bulls coach TOM THIBODEAU and Bulls G JIMMY BUTLER on Friday met for dinner at Gibsons Steakhouse in Chicago (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/27).
