Magee

James V. Magee, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for the Evening Bulletin, died Tuesday. He was 73 and lived in the Frankford section of Philadelphia. In 1963, Magee and reporter Albert V. Gaudiosi, along with photographer Frederick A. Meyer, used camera and notebook to record the operations of a major betting operation in South Philadelphia that included payoffs to police officers. Six weeks after the surveillance began, federal agents raided the operation and the Bulletin published a dramatic series of articles and photographs.

Phillies hitting coach Hal McRae calls it using "the whole dollar. " Sometimes players need a charm or a routine to click their hitting switch to "on. " For Wendell Magee Jr., it was McRae's little phrase. "He used it about three weeks ago," Magee said after belting his first three home runs of the spring in a 14-10 win against the Kansas City Royals yesterday. "He would tell me something every other week. He's a great teacher. He wouldn't tell me everything that was wrong at the same time.

Jefferson Health System took a major step yesterday toward becoming the region's powerhouse for hospital-based rehabilitation care. The health system said it planned to add 96-bed Magee Rehabilitation Hospital of Philadelphia to its growing system. The hospitals said they hoped to reach a definitive agreement by late June and will seek regulatory approval under anti-trust laws. If the deal goes through, Jefferson would have a lock on nearly 40 percent of the rehabilitation beds in the five-county Philadelphia area.

Police came under gunfire early yesterday when they raided a South Philadelphia rowhouse where they suspected stolen goods were bought and sold, according to Lt. Robert Magee of the major-crimes unit. No one was injured, and police did not return the gunfire, Magee said. A woman who fled the house during the raid was being sought in connection with the shooting, he said. Officers confiscated thousands of dollars worth of suspected stolen goods in the rowhouse's first-floor apartment, including watches, stereos, televisions and about 80 rounds of handgun and rifle ammunition, Magee said.

Chances are, if it's summertime, Tom Gussen can be found on a basketball court, playing for one of several teams in and around the Northeast. The 6-foot-7 forward, formerly of Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science, competes for the Phil's Shoes team in the Disston League and for Gilhooley's in the Ramp/Pollack League. He also had been playing in the prestigious Baker League until it suspended operations recently. Gussen, 24, is much like players he competes against, many of whom are current or former local college players, such as Mo Connolly of St. Joseph's and Bob Convey of La Salle.

Penn Wood senior guard Steve Alston has accepted a partial scholarship to Philadelphia Textile, capping a strong local recruiting class for the Rams. The 6-foot, 3-inch Alston, the Del-Val League's most valuable player, who averaged 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3.5 steals for Penn Wood (23-8), chose Textile over Bloomsburg. "I picked Textile mostly because of Coach (Herb) Magee," said Alston, who will major in business. "He has a winning program at Textile, and I've gotten used to winning.

It has been almost two years now since Lenny Dykstra walked to the batter's box, fidgeting all the way. Almost two years since he swung a baseball bat under game conditions. That will change this weekend. The Phillies open their exhibition season this afternoon with a game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. Dykstra isn't expected to play, but should start against Toronto tomorrow at Jack Russell Stadium and against the Yankees Sunday at Legends Field in Tampa. "I'm looking forward to it," he said yesterday.

PHIL MARTELLI WAS in his office one day last season, the door closed, the word out that he was not to be disturbed. If you have been around the Saint Joseph's coach when he watches tape, you know he occupies a world all his own. One of the student-managers got a call in the basketball office. She thought it important enough to knock timidly on the coach's door. "She said, 'You really need to take this call,' " Martelli remembered. It was Leti Martelli. She wanted to tell the coach about her son Lenny.

They work in the shadow of the Big 5 schools and Drexel. Crowds at their games frequently are small and media coverage is minimal. However Herb Magee, Bobby Morgan and C. Alan Rowe are recognized among knowledgeable basketball people as three of the nation's best hoops minds. Among them, they have 1,699 victories. The three will be among the first inductees into the Philadelphia Area Small College Basketball Hall of Fame. Ceremonies are noon Tuesday at Philadelphia Pharmacy's Wilson Hall.

When the Lufthansa plane carrying the family of Pablo Escobar finally landed in Frankfurt, Germany, on a Sunday afternoon in November 1993, it was forced to taxi to a remote spot on an alternate runway, out of the view of press waiting in the terminal. Colombian President Cesar Gaviria had been on the phone to officials in Spain and Germany, urging them to refuse the Escobars. He explained that if the family was safely removed from Colombia, there would be another vicious bombing campaign by Pablo Escobar.

At first, Herb Magee wasn't sure. It had been more than half a century since Magee stood in this spot, between Cell Blocks 5 and 6 inside Eastern State Penitentiary on Fairmount Avenue. The sights all around him quickly began matching up to his memories. Magee could envision inmates sitting on a low-hanging roof over a cell block, watching a basketball game, a game he was playing in. "This is it," Philadelphia University's Hall of Fame coach decided. Magee had been there a couple of times to play against inmates, once in high school, once in college.

Philadelphia University's Herb Magee became the first NCAA men's basketball head coach to win 950 career games as the visiting Rams (9-6, 5-2 CACC) beat Chestnut Hill College, 67-63, on Saturday. Jim Connolly (Souderton) led the Rams with 17 points, with teammates Peter Alexis adding 11 points and 12 rebounds and Nick Christian (Bensalem) posting 10 points and 11 rebounds. Mark DiRugeris Jr. (Woodbury) had 21 points for the Griffins (7-8, 3-3). Magee, a West Catholic graduate and Hall of Famer, has coached at Philadelphia University, formerly Textile, since 1967.

The newest member of the therapy team at Jefferson's Magee Rehabilitation Hospital has perfect windswept blond hair, loves long walks through Rittenhouse Square, and is a proud member of . . . the squirrel patrol? Introducing Ford - an eight-year-old golden retriever. His job? Offering friendly, nonjudgmental companionship, he subtly encourages patients to keep doing what they need to do to recover. "Ford is by far the most popular staff member in this hospital," chief medical officer Guy W. Fried said with a laugh.

BOSTON - Doug Collins, basketball professor, loves to wax educational when his teams play poorly. So, what's the lesson this time? KG is old? Herb Magee lives? Did the Sixers learn they can coast through the first few minutes, dig a 9-0 hole and still have a chance? That they can blow a second double-digit late lead and still win? That they have 5 seconds - not 6, not 4, but 5 - to inbound the ball? Maybe they learned that any game can be theirs. Maybe they learned that the Celtics cannot defend their guards.

MIKE MAGEE has played every position for Los Angeles this season - defender, midfielder, forward, even goalkeeper for one game. Yesterday, it was his scoring touch that gave the Galaxy an advantage in their playoff series against New York. Magee scored the only goal of the match, off a long cross from David Beckham, in the 15th minute, giving the visiting Galaxy a 1-0 win against the Red Bulls in the first leg of the Western Conference semifinals. Magee's goal enables Los Angeles to head home needing only a tie or a win on Thursday night to advance to the conference final.

One thing is clear: Evan Turner would like the basketball. The 76ers sophomore guard has spent this summer splitting time among three places, but has also spent a good deal of his summer working with Hall of Famer and Philadelphia University coach Herb Magee, who has been tweaking Turner's shot. "I knew I had a hitch in my shot," said Turner, who was in Chicago. "I just wanted to get it together. I didn't want to shoot any balls short. I wanted to understand the basic principle of jump-shooting, all of that, what to look for. Coach Magee has been helping me out a lot. " During his rookie season, Turner averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 23.0 minutes a game, disappointing numbers for the No. 2 overall selection in the 2010 NBA draft.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Herb Magee was wandering through the exhibits yesterday afternoon when he spotted a Larry Bird mannequin in shooting position. He checked his guide hand. Perfect. He felt under his shooting hand to see that the proper distance had been maintained between the ball and palm. Also perfect. "My man," Magee said, as he moved on. Just around the corner was a statue of Dr. James Naismith. Before he saw the "Do not touch" sign, Magee hugged the man who hung those peach baskets in this town late in the 19th Century.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The dream he's living here this weekend is one Herb Magee never had as a kid. The longtime Philadelphia University coach, whose accent, Irish mug, and hoops pedigree epitomize the hometown he's never left, got his blue Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame blazer Thursday. On Friday night, he and nine others in an eclectic class that includes a Lithuanian superstar, two women, a Globetrotter, a revered assistant, three ex-NBA stars, and Dennis Rodman will be formally inducted.

HERB MAGEE needed just one shot. Really, why would he need two? It was revealed in the winter that Magee was a first-time finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It was announced at the Final Four that he had been elected. Tomorrow night in Springfield, Mass., the Philadelphia University coach will be formally inducted in a ceremony at Symphony Hall. When you can navigate the mysterious process that is the Hall of Fame balloting and come out the other side with enough votes in your first try, you simply must be doing something right.

Herb Magee was excited. This was like a holiday. "The greatest day ever," he said. A new NCAA rule had been passed, bringing in the three-point line, awarding an extra point for shots made from behind that line. Philadelphia Textile's coach called the best shooter on his team, asked him to get to the gym at 8 the next morning. When Mike Doyle got there, they started measuring where the line would be. They didn't put down any tape, just worked out the distance then imagined the line underfoot.