Ian Hamilton

J.D. Salinger, whose life has been one long campaign to erase himself from the public eye, is reversing himself somewhat at 78. Next month will see the publication of "Hapworth 16, 1924," the first new Salinger book in 34 years. Salinger is one of the most enduring and influential postwar American writers, and any New York publisher would have paid a bundle for the rights to the story, which appeared in the New Yorker in 1965.

Chances are, if you ask him today, Rob Reiter will say he didn't mind that the championship game of the Hilltop-Moose High School Baseball Tournament had been postponed three times. Reiter, a senior left-handed pitcher for fourth-ranked USDHS, had a no-hitter for 6 1/3 innings of Saturday's championship before settling for a one-hit, 1-0 victory over No. 7 Poway (14-6).

Reclusive author J. D. Salinger won his legal fight to block an unauthorized biography Thursday when a federal appeals court directed a lower court to issue a preliminary injunction barring publication of the book. Salinger, author of "The Catcher in the Rye," filed a civil suit last October in federal court here to block Random House from publishing "J. D. Salinger: A Writing Life."

There were moments in Thursday's game when USDHS Coach Dick Serrano would turn his back to the field and take a long stroll away from the third-base coach's box. It was quite clear Serrano was frustrated. Why wouldn't he be? His Dons stranded 14 runners and were the beneficiary of five Poway errors. They lost to the No. 2 Titans, 8-2, in a Hilltop-Moose Tournament game at the University of San Diego. "I have a young team," Serrano said after No. 6 USDHS (3-2) dropped its second game in a row.

Few value their privacy as dearly as J.D. Salinger. Now his daughter, Margaret, is putting her own price on that commodity, joining his former lover, Joyce Maynard, by offering letters from him to the highest bidder. Margaret Salinger, nicknamed Peggy, plans to auction a cache of 32 letters at a Sotheby's auction in New York next month. The correspondence, which began when Peggy was 2 and ended when she was 36, document a relationship marked by turmoil. The letters are "truly extraordinary," said Marsha Malinowski of Sotheby's in New York, adding that in the latter part of the correspondence, Salinger "becomes his character.

Rancho Bernardo hit seven of eight three-pointers, including senior guard Bill McMahon's game-winner with three seconds left, as the Broncos defeated Morse 73-72 Wednesday night in the opening round of the Vista boys' basketball tournament. McMahon hit four of six three pointers and scored 20 points. Senior forward Kirk Hipple, who was 15 of 15 from the free-throw line and pulled down 14 rebounds, led Rancho Bernardo (1-0) with 34 points. Edward Charles led Morse (1-1) with 26 points.

Agent Scott Boras was interviewed for the June edition of Playboy and was asked how he would change the World Series. Boras replied: "I'd modernize it, make it five out of nine games, with the first two in a neutral city. Announce the MVP and Cy Young awards at a gala held between the playoffs and a new World Series weekend. Move the home-run contest from the All-Star game to that week too. "The gala and home-run derby would lead to Game 1 of the Series on Saturday, with Game 2 on Sunday.

Avocado League Ramona 4, El Camino 3--Ty Tomlinson had three hits and Eric Kelton had two for Ramona (2-8, 1-3). Rocky Bracamonte pitched a five-hitter and walked none, and he still hasn't allowed an earned run in 17 innings. Six of the game's seven runs were unearned as the teams combined for nine errors. Escondido 3, Oceanside 2--Oceanside was a strike away from winning--twice--but Escondido mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh.