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Good morning! Hit a 2-iron today.
Dreams
Give me old Griffey in a HR Derby ASAP
We have important news to cover today, but this kind of story does not wait. Jayson Stark has a tantalizing update on what we are calling the Legends Home Run Derby, which sounds like something you dream up over a few beverages of choice. Instead, it could be reality.
Here are the names currently committed to the idea:
- Ken Griffey Jr.
- David Ortiz
- Albert Pujols
- Jim Thome
I don’t care if these guys are busting out of their jerseys. I want to see Griffey swing again. I want to see Big Papi twirl out of his shoes after a massive hack and laugh about how old he’s getting. Pujols and Thome could still hit 50 bombs in a Derby scenario, although Jayson is proposing a unique/throwback format idea for the new competition.
It all started with Griffey talking trash on live TV, and now, according to Jayson, it has real legs. Read more about the proposed format and how it all came together here.
Usurpers
Carlos Alcaraz is wasting no time
Before yesterday, Novak Djokovic was the one. He had outlasted Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He had 23 Grand Slam titles. We even wondered in these digital pages — who’s going to stop him from running away as the GOAT?
A month later, we have an answer: Carlos Alcaraz, the fiery 20-year-old Spaniard who has now fully taken over the tennis world after his Wimbledon win yesterday. The question now: Outside of Djokovic, who’s going to stop him?
Alcaraz was already the world No. 1 heading into the tournament. Now look at his record against the rest of the top five:
- No. 2 Djokovic: 2-1
- No. 3 Daniil Medvedev: 2-1
- No. 4 Casper Ruud: 3-0
- No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas: 5-0
Alcaraz broke Djokovic yesterday, literally and figuratively. He broke Djokovic’s serve five times over the five sets. He broke Djokovic’s will in a 26-minute service game in the third set that involved 32 points and seven break points. This all came in Alcaraz’s fourth-ever tournament on grass.
He now has two Grand Slam titles at 20. Nadal also had two at 20, but the other two legends? He is already ahead of them.
Djokovic, to his credit, seemed as stunned as everyone else after watching Alcaraz’s performance. The 36-year-old officially has a foil now. Good for us.
Full Groomsmen
It happened again
Shohei Ohtani hit his league-leading 34th home run last night, which puts him on pace to hit 58 home runs this season. All for a guy who also leads the majors in opposing batting average as a starting pitcher.
And yet (lol) the Angels lost, 9-8, to go full Akron Groomsmen at the worst time. Kyle Tucker decided to rudely bring back the joke with this game-winning catch:
The Angels entered the second half clinging to hope for a Wild Card spot. They sit 46-48, six games back of the final spot, with two weeks left until the trade deadline. Maybe the biggest decision in franchise history (trading Ohtani) needs to be made by then. Fun.
Briefs
A messy intro for Messi
The scenes in Miami last night for Lionel Messi’s official introduction were … something. The stadium was packed, a gigantic reminder that, yes, the most famous soccer star on the planet will be playing in MLS this year. Yet it was a weird night. Rain soaked the evening, technical difficulties marred the at-home viewing experience and Inter Miami’s owner got downright religious in calling Sunday the start of a holy chapter: “There will always be a before and after Lionel Messi.” Reading the live reaction from multiple Athletic staffers on the scene is a fun time.
Titans try it again
Tennessee is expected to sign DeAndre Hopkins, according to multiple reports. While Hopkins will probably succeed with the Titans, it’s hard not to look back at the organization’s history with this kind of wideout and wonder why we’re here again. As Joe Rexrode pointed out, Hopkins joins marquee names like Julio Jones, Randy Moss and Andre Johnson as receivers who landed in Tennessee a little past their primes and produced little as Titans. Hopkins does pair nicely alongside Treylon Burks. Read more about his fit — and the timing of the deal — here.
Reds call up another prospect
Arguably the majors’ best farm system has spit out another hyped major-league prospect in Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who will make his debut today. The 23-year-old has mashed Triple-A hitting and can play multiple positions on defense. The Reds could fill out a Futures Game team by themselves at this point. Read more about where Encarnacion-Strand fits in with the young team here.
Mixed Bag
A win as a curse? Maybe
Rory McIlroy was at his peak yesterday. For once, he was not the fan favorite, even on the other side of the Atlantic. But he was ruthless in the final nine of his Scottish Open win, pulling off shots like this:
That’s a 2-iron from 205 yards out on 18, wind screaming into his face, and he puts it 10 feet away. He called it one of the best shots of his career. It pushed McIlroy ahead of Robert MacIntyre, the Scot who shot a final-round 64 in front of a home crowd. McIlroy was smooth in his final round, something we haven’t seen from him in recent majors. He looked relaxed.
Did I mention the Open Championship starts this week?
As Brody Miller wrote last week, picking the Scottish Open champ to win this week’s major is an easy sell. The winner will have just succeeded on another links course in Great Britain’s blustery conditions. Over the last two years, though … it’s not exactly a great bet:
- 2021: Min Woo Lee beat Thomas Detry in a playoff to win. Neither made the Open cut.
- 2022: Xander Schauffele won and finished tied for 15th at the Open, but was never in contention.
The Open Championship starts Thursday at Royal Liverpool, which underwent significant changes ahead of the tournament.
Pulse Picks
Joe Vardon knows LeBron James’ story better than almost anybody. Today, he debuts The Athletic’s new narrative podcast, titled “A King’s Reign,” which contains dozens of never-before-heard stories about the player many consider the best to ever hoop. Read Joe’s introduction here, which includes a link to the podcast.
The Women’s World Cup starts this week. We have The Radar, a massive interactive scouting guide, up here.
Tim Britton wonders: Are the Mets just delaying the inevitable at this point?
Nick Baumgardner and Diante Lee embark on a cool new series, in which they build an NFL franchise from the ground up. First hire: How do you pick a good head coach?
The NHL season never really ends. The proof is in our July mailbag, which garnered so many questions there will have to be a Part 2. Eric Duhatschek gives us valuable insights on Alex DeBrincat, salary cap numbers, William Nylander and more.
The Suns were busy yesterday, picking up Bol Bol and making a trade. They’re working hard to cram a competitive roster next to their three superstars.
Kylian Mbappe returns to work today, as his status at PSG reaches a crescendo.
(Photo: Daniel Shirey/ Getty Images)
