MLB
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr, joined Vladimir Sr. to become the first father-son duo to win the All-Star Home Run Derby, beating Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena 25-23 in the final round. Guerrero defeated Julio Rodríguez 21-20 in the semifinals after the Mariners star hit a record 41 in the first round in front of his hometown fans. Batting against Blue Jays manager John Schneider, Guerrero was the last of the four semifinalists to swing and the first of the finalists, setting a final round record for homers to top Pete Alonso’s 23 two years ago. Vladimir Sr. won the 2007 derby.
Julio Rodríguez's All-Star Home Run Derby turned out just like his career so far — a show-stopping, must-see start, followed by a relative bummer in Round 2. Rodríguez hit a record 41 homers in the first round, then lost to Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the semifinals. There’s no doubt this season hasn’t matched the lofty expecations Rodríguez and the team had after his sensational rookie year. Already committed to competing in the Home Run Derby, Rodríguez was an injury replacement on the American League roster after injuries to outfielders Yordan Alvarez and Mike Trout created an opportunity for Rodríguez to be added.
The National League takes on the American League in major league baseball’s All-Star Game tonight at 7 at the Seattle Mariners’ T-Mobile Park. The New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole will start for the American League and Arizona’s Zac Gallen will open on the mound for the National League. Cole will start for the first time in his sixth All-Star nod. He is 9-2 with a 2.85 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 117 innings. Gallen, a 27-year-old right-hander, is 11-3 with a 3.04 ERA, tied for the major league lead in wins. The first-time All-Star has 125 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings. Yankees and Diamondbacks have All-Star starting pitchers for the time since Roger Clemens faced Randy Johnson in the 2001 game at Seattle. Other representatives include the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Red Sox Closer Kenley Jansen, Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso and pitcher Kodai Senga, and Phillies’ outfielder Nick Castellanos and pitcher Craig Kimbrel.
The Yankees’ ballots are in, and they have elected “The Mayor” Sean Casey to turn around a stagnant offense. The 49-year-old Casey is moving from the MLB Network studio to the dugout, having agreed to finish the season as the Bombers’ hitting coach.
WIMBLEDON
Jessica Pegula has reached the quarterfinals in five of her last 10 major tournaments. Making it past that point has been an issue. The 29-year-old American gets another shot at the semifinals when she faces Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon today. Getting past the fourth round at Wimbledon this year means the fourth-seeded Pegula has now made it to the quarterfinals at each of the four Grand Slam tournaments. In the other women’s quarterfinals match, top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.
On the men’s side, seven-time champion Novak Djokovic will be back at Centre Court — his third day in a row — to face Andrey Rublev. The other men’s quarterfinals match is eighth-seeded Jannik Sinner against Roman Safiullin.
USA GYMNASTICS
Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar has been stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another inmate at a federal prison in Florida. Nassar is serving decades in prison after admitting sexually assaulting athletes at Michigan State University and at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, including Olympic medalists. Two people familiar with Nassar's stabbing tell The Associated Press the attack happened Sunday at United States Penitentiary Coleman. Officials say Nassar was in stable condition Monday. One of the people says Nassar was stabbed in the back and the chest. The people were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the attack and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
NBA
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he believes all leagues have to continue to keep an incredibly close eye on gambling trends within their sport, mindful of issues that the NFL in particular has had to address in recent months. Silver has been a longtime proponent of legalized sports betting frameworks within sports. He spoke in Las Vegas, part of a moderated discussion as part of the Associated Press Sports Editors convention. He said he draws the analogy to insider trading, and how leagues, he believes, are finding ways to stay ahead of major problems.
NHL
The ECHL, an organization of minor league hockey teams originally known as the East Coast Hockey League, says Tim Tebow will be part of an ownership group bringing an expansion hockey team to Lake Tahoe. The league, in conjunction with Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, said the team will begin play in the 2024-25 season. It doesn't have a name yet. Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL player, will partner with David Hodges, the CEO of Hodges Management Group LLC, in the venture. The team will play at the new Tahoe Blue Events Center and help expand the league’s western reach.
NORTHWESTERN FIRES FITZGERALD
Northwestern has fired coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal that called into question his leadership of the program and damaged the university’s reputation after it mishandled its response to the allegations. Fitzgerald’s dismissal completed a rapid fall from grace for the former Northwestern linebacker. The 48-year-old Fitzgerald had been firmly entrenched at his alma mater, an annual fixture on any list of college coaches with the most job security. Northwestern President Michael Schill says the culture within Fitzgerald's program was “broken” in some ways.
WEST VIRGINIA COACH BOB HUGGINS
Bob Huggins says he has checked into a rehabilitation facility following a drunken driving arrest and disputes that he resigned at West Virginia. Huggins issued a statement Monday saying he wanted to “set the record straight” on the events of the past two weeks since his arrest in Pittsburgh on June 16. Huggins says he never gave formal notice to resign under the terms of his contract. He also says a resignation statement issued by the university on June 17 indicating it was from Huggins was not drafted or reviewed by him. The university says it has no plans to reinstate Huggins.
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
Morocco's national women's team will make its debut this month at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the first to qualify from an Arab world where many are crazy for the men’s game. After years of being largely in the margins, Moroccan women’s soccer is gaining new ground at home and beyond. It's starting to capture the imagination of more girls, win the hearts and minds of more parents and chip away at a traditional view by many of soccer as a men’s game. Moroccan soccer officials and players say their country's 2022 hosting of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations which led to its World Cup qualification marked a watershed moment in perceptions.
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