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July 18, 2018 Page 1 of 21
Press Clips
(July 18, 2018)
July 18, 2018 Page 2 of 21
CLIPS CONTENT
FROM THE OC REGISTER (PAGE 3)
Angels’ Mike Trout is a star among All-Stars again, while Ross Stripling’s night ended badly
Whicker: 60 facts about 30 MLB teams at the break
Rob Manfred: The marketing of Angels’ Mike Trout starts with Trout
FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (PAGE 9)
Trout homers, Stripling takes loss as AL wins homerfest in 10 innings, but All-Star talk centers on Machado
MLB Commissioner places blame for Mike Trout's lack of national visibility on Trout
FROM ANGELS.COM (PAGE 11)
Trout homers, now has a hit in 6 straight ASG
On record-setting night, AL outslugs NL
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (PAGE 15)
Manfred: Trout would be bigger star if he marketed himself
FROM ESPN.COM (PAGE 15)
Monumental mashing: Ranking D.C.'s record 10 All-Star Game homers
Baseball lightens up, goes deep at the Midsummer Classic
July 18, 2018 Page 3 of 21
FROM THE OC REGISTER
Angels’ Mike Trout is a star among All-Stars again, while Ross Stripling’s night ended badly
By Jeff Fletcher
WASHINGTON — Making an All-Star Game is great, but succeeding in the All-Star Game is even better.
It’s a point Mike Trout continues to demonstrate, hitting his second homer and extending his All-Star Game hitting streak to six games during the American League’s 8-6, 10-inning victory on Tuesday night.
“It means a lot (to have good games),” the Angels star said. “You want to get hits, and help the team win. … You are playing against the best, and I love to compete.”
On the other end of the spectrum is Ross Stripling, the Dodgers’ pitcher who was a late replacement on the roster and was floating on a cloud for most of two days around the game’s best.
But he won’t remember his All-Star experience so fondly. Stripling entered in the ninth inning with the NL trailing 5-3 and retired both batters he faced. It would have been a great night, except he came back out for the 10th, after Scooter Gennett had given the NL new life with a two-run homer in the ninth.
Stripling then gave up back-to-back homers to Alex Bregman — who was named the game’s MVP — and George Springer.
It was just more salt in the wound that Stripling gave up the homers to two members of the Houston Astros, who beat the Dodgers in the World Series last year.
Afterward, Stripling was in no mood to consider the excitement of simply being in the All-Star Game.
“I think I’ll look back and think it was pretty (lousy),” he said. “It was fun being in this group with these kind of guys, but it (stinks) to have it end like that. That’s what they’ll remember and that’s what I’ll remember, so I’m (ticked) about it.”
A little earlier, outside the other clubhouse, Trout was all smiles as he discussed yet another performance to add his amazing resume.
“He’s on another planet,” Bregman said.
After fighting for an eight-pitch walk against Max Scherzer in his first plate appearance, Trout came up in the third inning against Jacob deGrom, who he had faced just three times in his career. His teammates gave him something of a scouting report.
“He’s nasty. Good luck,” Trout said he was told.
Trout nonetheless said he got a “slider or cutter down, and barreled it.”
July 18, 2018 Page 4 of 21
He hit it over the left-field fence, putting the American League up 2-0 and sparking all sorts of Trout historical notes.
Only Willie Mays and Joe Morgan had hits in their first six All-Star Games, and only seven other players had All-Star hitting streaks of at least six games. The last was Dave Winfield, who hit in seven straight in the 1980s.
Trout is now 7 for 15 with two homers in his All-Star career. Five of those hits are extra base hits, which is second only to Ted Williams (seven) in All-Star history.
The only players with at least seven All-Star hits before age 27 are Trout, Al Kaline, Johnny Bench, Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle and Joe Medwick.
In case you wondered, those stats link Trout to nine Hall of Famers.
While Trout was vying for his third All-Star Game MVP award — which ended when the game changed entirely with all the late scoring — the Dodgers All-Star starter, Matt Kemp, also contributed an extra-base hit in his first All-Star Game since 2012.
Kemp doubled and struck out in his two plate appearances, with the double most notably punctuated by posing at second for a selfie with Manny Machado — rumored to be his teammate as soon as Wednesday.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen did not pitch, which he said was a decision Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had made because of his recent heavy workload.
Among the other big leaguers with Southern California ties to get in the game, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (Westlake High) contributed a homer, pulling the NL within 5-3 in the eighth.
Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (El Toro High), Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (El Modeno High) and San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (UCLA) all started for the NL, and they combined for only an Arenado walk.
Houston Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole (Orange Lutheran High, UCLA) did not pitch for the AL. Cleveland Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer (Hart High, UCLA) also did not pitch. Bauer was not expected to pitch unless the game went to extra innings, because he threw 110 pitches on Sunday.
Whicker: 60 facts about 30 MLB teams at the break
By Mark Whicker
Sixty fun facts for 30 teams at the All-Star break:
• Mike Trout has come to the plate 189 times with the bases empty, most in baseball.
July 18, 2018 Page 5 of 21
• The Angels are hitting .216 against left-handers, with 26 doubles.
• In June and July, Ross Stripling has struck out 49 batters and walked three for the Dodgers.
• L.A. is in first place with 19 RBI from Justin Turner, 13 RBI from Corey Seager, and three wins from Clayton Kershaw.
• San Diego’s Hunter Renfroe has a slugging percentage of .602 at Petco Park, .315 on the road.
• The Padres lead the NL by striking out 936 times and have a league-worst .298 on-base percentage.
• Colorado has five relievers who make more than $7 million this year, but it has an NL-worst bullpen WHIP of 1.45.
• Center fielder Charlie Blackmon had an OPS of 1.000 last year. This year it’s .852.
• Arizona is 39-37 when it’s playing someone besides Colorado and the Dodgers.
• Paul Goldschmidt was hitting .198 on May 22, is hitting .283 now.
• Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto have combined to start 15 games for the Giants, who are still two games over .500.
• San Francisco rookie reliever Reyes Moronta has given up 20 hits in 42 innings.
• Oakland is 50-32 since April 14.
• Matt Olson, making $507,000 this season, has 43 home runs in 612 plate appearances over the past two seasons for the Athletics.
• Houston’s Alex Bregman is the only AL hitter besides Trout and Boston’s Mookie Betts, among qualified hitters, who has more walks than strikeouts.
• The Astros, despite closer problems, have a league-best bullpen WHIP of 1.02, with 70 walks in 281 innings.
• The Rangers’ Adrian Beltre, at 39, has only one RBI for every 10 plate appearances.
• Of the Texas starters, Cole Hamels has the lowest ERA, at 4.36.
• Since Robinson Cano left the Seattle lineup, the Mariners are 36-22.
• Seattle is 8-0 in extra innings and 26-12 in one-run games, and closer Edwin Diaz has 79 strikeouts in 48 innings.
• The Cubs are approaching their fourth consecutive winning season. That hasn’t happened since 1967-72.
July 18, 2018 Page 6 of 21
• Ex-Angel pitcher Tyler Chatwood has walked 73 batters in 84 innings for Chicago.
• The Cardinals, traditionally sound defensively, lead the National League with 77 errors.
• Marcell Ozuna had a .924 OPS for Miami last year. With St. Louis this year, he’s at 693.
• The Brewers, now in second place in the NL Central, are 19-22 since May 31.
• Josh Hader has struck out 16.7 batters every nine innings, tops among NL pitchers with at least 30 appearances.
• Pittsburgh’s Gregory Polanco ranks 27th in NL OPS, at .823, but leads the Pirates.
• The Pirates are one game below .500 overall but nine games under .500 against National League teams.
• Jared Hughes, of Santa Margarita and Long Beach State, has given up two home runs in 50 innings out of Cincinnati’s bullpen and has a 1.100 WHIP.
• Reds’ third baseman Eugenio Suarez has an OPS of .973. Last year, it was .828. The year before, .728.
• Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer (Hart, UCLA) has thrown at least 100 pitches in 18 of his 20 starts.
• The Indians’ bullpen WHIP led the AL last year but is seventh this year.
• Two-time MVP Miguel Cabrera had only three home runs in 38 games for Detroit before a biceps injury June 12 likely cost him his season.
• Shane Greene, the Tigers’ closer, has given up seven home runs in 40 innings.
• Minnesota’s Joe Mauer has three home runs in 65 games.
• The American League Central is 83 games below .500.
• The Royals have four players with at least 100 plate appearances who are hitting below .200 – Cheslor Cuthbert, Alcides Escobar, Drew Butera and Erick Almonte.
• Hitters have an .853 OPS against KC’s Jason Hammel. Next-worst figure is .802, by Baltimore’s Kevin Gausman.
• Yoan Moncada of the White Sox has grounded into just one double play in 383 plate appearances.
• Chicago’s hitters have seen fewer 2-0 and 3-0 pitches than anyone in the AL and are 13th in runs.
• Atlanta has four hitters under 25 years old who have combined for 49 home runs: Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Ronald Acuna and Johan Camargo.
July 18, 2018 Page 7 of 21
• At 34, Anibal Sanchez has a 1.020 WHIP, a career-best.
• Washington’s Sean Doolittle leads the NL in save percentage, converting 26 of 27.
• Bryce Harper has walked or struck out in 180 of 414 plate appearances.
• Philadelphia’s Seranthony Dominguez has pitched 33 and two-thirds inning with one home run and 22 hits and six walks.
• The Phillies are 20-8 in one-run games. Last year, they were 21-36.
• The Mets are hitting .228, which would be the fourth-lowest in club history.
• They have scored two or fewer runs in seven of Jacob deGrom’s 19 starts. He is 5-4 with a 1.89 ERA.
• Miami’s J.P. Realmuto is the only NL catcher with a slugging percentage over .500 and an OPS over .900.
• The Marlins have lost 18 games by a margin of five or more runs.
• The Red Sox are second in AL home runs. Last year, they were 15th, or last.
• Only 20 MLB pitchers last year struck out more than 188 hitters. Chris Sale has 188 K’s at the break.
• The Yankees have only one starting pitcher (CC Sabathia) and one regular hitter (Brett Gardner) over 30 years old.
• Luis Severino has taken a loss in only eight of his previous 51 starts.
• Toronto’s Marcus Stroman had a 3.09 ERA last year. This year, it’s 5.86.
• Randal Grichuk, who the Angels drafted one pick ahead of Trout, is hitting .206 with a .700 OPS.
• Tampa Bay’s Matt Duffy (Long Beach State) is hitting .317 after missing 2017 with injury.
• The Rays are 9-12 in “bullpen games,” in which Ryne Stanek and Sergio Romo pitch the first and/or second innings. They are 49-47 overall.
• Baltimore’s Manny Machado has 65 RBI, 29 more than any other teammate.
• The Orioles’ .289 winning percentage would be second-lowest in franchise history, behind the 1939 St. Louis Browns, who finished 43-111.
July 18, 2018 Page 8 of 21
Rob Manfred: The marketing of Angels’ Mike Trout starts with Trout
By Jeff Fletcher
WASHINGTON — Among the certainties in baseball are that Mike Trout will be the best player in the game, and that there will be a hand-wringing discussion about whether Trout is as famous as a player with that designation should be.
Commissioner Rob Manfred weighed in on the oft-discussed topic on Tuesday, saying that MLB would love to do more to promote Trout, but it has to start with Trout.
“Player marketing requires one thing, for sure: the player,” Manfred said at his annual All-Star Game press conference. “You can not market a player passively. You can’t market anything passively. You need people to engage with those to whom are trying to market in order to have effective marketing.”
Trout has said at every opportunity that he has no interest in marketing himself or becoming anything more of a celebrity than he is. He is trying to win a World Series and be the best player in the world, obviously with more success at the latter than the former, though no fault of his own.
A day earlier, Trout had said he’d give up all the individual accolades and the All-Star Games to win a World Series, so this is certainly not a player interested in any more personal attention.
He has twice declined opportunities to play in the World Baseball Classic, and he has ever participated in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game.
“I’d rather just have that night with my family, spend time with them,” Trout said last week. “I just want to relax and enjoy the day. Just watch it… I just never had any interest in doing it.”
For as much as Major League Baseball would love Trout on either of those stages, he doesn’t want or need it.
The 26-year-old Trout has two seasons left on a $145-million deal that has him as the highest paid player in the sport this season, earning just over $34 million a year.
“Mike is a great great player, and a really nice person, but he’s made certain decisions with what he wants to do and what he doesn’t want to do, and how he wants to spend his free time and how he doesn’t want to spend his free time,” Manfred said. “That’s up to him. If he wants to engage and be more active in that area, I think we could help him make his brand really really big, but he has to make a decision that he’s prepared to engage in that area. It takes time and effort.”
July 18, 2018 Page 9 of 21
FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES
Trout homers, Stripling takes loss as AL wins homerfest in 10 innings, but All-Star talk centers on Machado
By Bill Shaikin
The Dodgers had three players in the All-Star game, another in the home run derby, and Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner watching from home.
Manny Machado, come on down!
The Dodgers have the best record in the National League over the past two months, with Chris Taylor playing a perfectly fine shortstop in place of the injured Corey Seager. The Dodgers blitzed the Chicago Cubs to advance to the World Series last year, and the ace of the Cubs stood before his All-Star locker Tuesday and pondered the addition of a stud shortstop to the Dodgers’ star-studded roster.
“That’s kind of the fantasy football question,” Jon Lester said. “If you had these guys on your team, what would you do?”
On the day of the All-Star game, the Dodgers’ all-but-done acquisition of Machado was a hotter topic than the game itself. Machado spoke politely but wearily to a pack of reporters before the game — 70 seconds in Spanish, 90 seconds in English — but gleefully whipped out a cell phone and snapped a picture with Matt Kemp at second base during the game.
Machado grinned. Kemp busted up laughing. Then again, Kemp had been laughing all day, particularly when a reporter asked if he admired Machado.
“I think he’s a horrible baseball player,” Kemp said of his friend and former workout partner, smiling widely as the crowd surrounding him cracked up. “Write it down. He’s horrible.”
Machado was long gone by the time the American League won, 8-6, in 10 innings. The Angels’ Mike Trout hit a home run — one of a record 10 in the game — to lift his career All-Star batting average to .467.
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen did not pitch. The Dodgers told him he would rest through the break, a decision with which Jansen said he agreed.
The Dodgers’ Ross Stripling, the last of nine NL pitchers, took the loss after giving up three runs in the 10th inning, including back-to-back home runs to Alex Bregman and George Springer of the Houston Astros.
“I think I’ll look back and think it was pretty (lousy),” he said of his first All-Star experience. “It was fun being in this group with these kind of guys, but it (stinks) to have it end like that. That’s what they’ll remember and that’s what I’ll remember, so I’m (ticked) about it.”
July 18, 2018 Page 10 of 21
The Dodgers might lead the Arizona Diamondbacks by a mere half-game in the NL West, but Stripling sounded as giddy before the game as he might have been if his team had just clinched its sixth consecutive division championship. Then again, maybe it had.
“The Diamondbacks went and got arguably the best hitter in the game in J.D. Martinez last year, made a good run in September, but we still won,” Stripling said. “Now we’re going to turn around and maybe do it to them, and get arguably one of the best hitters in the game and put him right in the middle of our lineup.”
If the trade is finalized, Stripling already has his adjective selected for the Diamondbacks.
“I think it would be pretty demoralizing,” Stripling said, “something they would see and say, ‘Oh crap, that’s not going to be any fun.’ You’ve got to deal with Kershaw, Rich Hill, Alex Wood, Kenta [Maeda] on the mound, and now you’ve got to deal with Justin Turner, Matt Kemp, Max Muncy, Machado, etc.
“That’s almost a superteam, I feel like, on paper.”
No one in a rival uniform went so far as to concede the division, or the league, to the Dodgers. But no one attempted to downplay Machado’s impact, either.
“He would be an impact player for any team,” San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford said. “He’s one of the best players in the game. Any team that gets him will get an immediate impact.”
And the Dodgers as that team?
“They’re already the team to beat,” he said.
Said Lester: “It gives them a little shot in the arm. I think, when you have a trade deadline and you get a player of that caliber, it just boosts your team, and everybody ends up playing well. So now you have to worry about the whole lineup, not just him.”
Kemp seconded that, calling Machado “one of my favorite players in the world.” The two are so close, Kemp said, that Machado surely would have texted him if the trade truly were complete.
“I’m pretty sure he would,” Kemp said. “Let me check my phone.”
Nothing from Machado, at least not by 4:30 p.m. But, text or no, Kemp said Machado would make himself at home in Los Angeles.
“Did you see what he was wearing on the red carpet?” Kemp said. “That’s Hollywood right there. That’s super Hollywood. That fits. So he already has the style down.”
Machado wore a suit jacket, with no shirt beneath it. Perhaps he can have a red carpet face-off with L.A.’s other new star, LeBron James, who wore a suit jacket and shorts to the NBA Finals.
“LeBron and Machado?” Kemp said. “That would be a big couple weeks in L.A.”
July 18, 2018 Page 11 of 21
MLB Commissioner places blame for Mike Trout's lack of national visibility on Trout
By Bill Shaikin
Major League Baseball is growing increasingly tense with stories about how it cannot market its best player, the Angels’ Mike Trout.
Commissioner Rob Manfred, asked Tuesday about Trout’s reluctance to spend his free time promoting himself and the Angels’ inability to make the playoffs as factors in his lack of national visibility, said nothing about the latter and pointed his finger directly at Trout.
“Player marketing requires one thing for sure: the player,” Manfred said. “You cannot market a player passively. You need people to engage with those to whom you are trying to market in order to have effective marketing.
“We are very interested in having our players more engaged, in having higher-profile players, in helping our players develop their individual brand.
“Mike is a great, great player and a really nice person, but he has made certain decisions about what he wants to do, and what he doesn’t want to do, and how he wants to spend his free time, and how he doesn’t want to spend his free time. That’s up to him.
“If he wants to engage and be more active in that area, I think we could help him make his brand really big. But he has to make a decision that he is prepared to engage in that area, and it takes time and effort.”
Trout homered in the third inning of Tuesday’s All-Star game.
FROM ANGELS.COM
Trout homers, now has a hit in 6 straight ASG
Harper on Angels superstar after clout: 'I love watching him play'
By Mark Feinsand
WASHINGTON -- Bryce Harper was the star of the show Monday night, but even the Nationals superstar knows who the best player in baseball is: Mike Trout.
"If you don't, then you're not watching," Harper said on the FOX broadcast in the third inning during Tuesday's All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. "This guy is day in and day out, year in and year out, one of the best in all of baseball."
July 18, 2018 Page 12 of 21
The subject came up after Trout obliterated a Jacob deGrom two-seam fastball, sending it into the American League bullpen in left-center field. Harper, who was joining the broadcast from the field during the half-inning, knew Trout had gone yard right away.
"That's gone," Harper said, as he watched the ball sail toward the outfield. "How good is he, huh? I love watching him play, man. Special player."
Trout finished his night 1-for-2 with a walk in the AL's 8-6, 10-inning victory, giving him a hit in all six of his All-Star Game appearances. (He was chosen for a seventh but did not play due to injury.)
Trout joined Hall of Famers Joe Morgan and Willie Mays as the only players with a hit in each of their first six All-Star Games after becoming the fourth American Leaguer to start six Midsummer Classics before his 27th birthday. The latter list is populated by more Hall of Famers: Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Ivan Rodriguez.
Trout also became the third AL player with two career All-Star Game homers before turning 27. The two others: Al Kaline and Mantle.
"I just get a pitch and barrel it. That's how I get hits," Trout said. "It's always good to get out there and get a hit, get some ABs and it was just a good experience."
Since Trout was born in August 1991, Alfonso Soriano has more All-Star homers than any other player, hitting three. Behind him? A five-way tie between Trout, Mike Piazza, Barry Bonds, Andruw Jones and Roberto Alomar with two apiece.
"For me, it's just trying to keep it simple," Trout said. "I can't really keep up with trying to do too much, just keep it simple, keep my swing short."
His third-inning home run came two innings after Trout battled National League starter Max Scherzerfor an eight-pitch walk in the first inning, denying Scherzer a 1-2-3 inning after the Nationals right-hander struck out the AL's first two batters of the night.
In the third, deGrom got ahead of Trout, 1-2, before trying to finish him off. Trout turned on the 92-mph pitch and sent the ball soaring into the AL bullpen in left-center, doubling his team's lead to 2-0.
"deGrom's a good pitcher, man," Trout said during an in-game interview on FOX. "I just got a pitch down where I like it and put the barrel on it, and it went over the fence."
Although his home run was his highlight, Trout seemed more excited by the opportunity to have his cell phone with him in the outfield, allowing him to take a selfie with fellow outfield starters Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts during a pitching change.
"I think the fans want to see that. I enjoyed it," Trout said. "The fans see us on the field, but not what we're doing in the clubhouse or the dugout or in the outfield, and that was a cool moment."
July 18, 2018 Page 13 of 21
On record-setting night, AL outslugs NL
By Anthony Castrovince
WASHINGTON -- The ball wasn't flying out of Nationals Park quite as frequently as it did during Bryce Harper's heroic hometown homer binge a night earlier, but it was flying all the same in a dinger-driven, record-breaking 89th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on Tuesday night.
In the end, the two standout swats were the back-to-back solo shots hit by Astros teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer -- off a Dodgers pitcher (Ross Stripling), no less -- in the top of the 10th inning of what became an 8-6 victory for the American League. Bregman was given the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet for his role in the AL's sixth straight win in the Midsummer Classic.
"I took a cutter down the middle of the first pitch and kind of went into battle mode and just was trying to put a line drive in play, and it left the yard," said Bregman. "It was crazy. It was a lot of fun."
But while the result reflects the AL's recent dominance in this summer showcase and, in a way, the Astros' standing as defending champs, the game itself was reflective of the homer-happy times we live in.
"It was like a regular-season game with the home runs accounting for pretty much everything," said Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ, who made a rare turn in the "closer" role by getting the save in the 10th. "Maybe a few less walks than normal, but pretty standard stuff. We were commenting in the bullpen that that's the way it's going these days."
The two teams combined for 10 homers, destroying the previous record of six that had last been reached in 1971 by some gentlemen named Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente -- Hall of Famers, all.
Maybe not all of the blasts on this night were hit by guys who are Cooperstown-bound. But Bregman, Springer, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Willson Contreras, Trevor Story, Jean Segura, Christian Yelich, Scooter Gennett and Joey Votto collectively put up a performance for the All-Star ages. All but one of the game's 14 runs was driven in by a long ball.
"To kind of empty your tank and hit homers at this event is probably the best thing imaginable," said AL and Astros manager AJ Hinch. "Just to have that kind of emotion that comes with the home run. Especially when the big boys hit it, and especially when the Astros hit it."
The AL seemingly had the game in hand thanks to Segura's pinch-hit three-run homer off Josh Haderin the top of the eighth. But Gennett wowed the crowd and stunned the junior circuit by taking Mariners closer Edwin Diaz deep in the bottom of the ninth to tie it.
To extras it went, and it didn't take long for Bregman and Springer to summon the Fall Classic magic of old. The AL added another run on -- of all things -- a sacrifice fly from Michael Brantley. And though Votto's solo shot in the bottom of the 10th kept things interesting, Happ was able to close it out before any more dinger drama developed.
July 18, 2018 Page 14 of 21
So this was a night for watching it fly and letting it fly. AL starter Chris Sale threw a fastball clocked by Statcast™ at 100.7 mph -- his fastest pitch since 2010. NL starter Max Scherzer threw his four fastest pitches of the season en route to striking out four in two innings of work.
The All-Stars capitalized on their opportunity to showcase their skills in the nation's capital, and they let their personalities show, too, with in-game selfies and mic'd-up position players. Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor felt so bad when he couldn't muscle a drive over the wall that he dropped down and did some pushups. It was that kind of night.
There was even some off-the-field drama developing, with reports swirling about Manny Machadopossibly heading to the Dodgers as he played what might have been his last game in a Baltimore Orioles uniform. In an in-game interview with FOX Sports and MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal, Machado acknowledged the not-so-subtle storyline by saying, "If this is the last time, hopefully I treated them well, I did everything I could for the organization."
The AL could be losing one of its signature stars. But it won a game that very much resembled a Derby.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Gennett's game-tying homer might get lost to history, given the end result, but he still put himself in a pretty cool spot in the All-Star history books. When he hit his two-run, 396-foot blast off Diaz, Gennett became just the third player to hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of a Midsummer Classic, joining Ralph Kiner in 1950 and Fred McGriff in '94. That sent the All-Star Game into extras for a second consecutive year. The last time that had happened was 1966-67.
SOUND SMART This was the first game in MLB history -- regular season, postseason or All-Star -- in which five players homered for each team.
HE SAID IT "In the beginning, it was, 'Is anybody going to get a hit other than a homer?' And at the end, it was, 'Are we going to have enough pitching to get out of this mess?'" -- Hinch
UP NEXT Oh yes, they'll meet again. The 90th All-Star Game will take place on July 9, 2019, at Cleveland's Progressive Field, which last hosted the Midsummer Classic in 1997 (when it was still known as Jacobs Field). The AL will take an All-Star edge into that contest, having broken the all-time tie Tuesday by improving to 44-43-2 against the NL.
July 18, 2018 Page 15 of 21
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Manfred: Trout would be bigger star if he marketed himself
By Ronald Blum
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mike Trout would be an even bigger star if he would spend some more time marketing himself, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred maintains.
At 26, the Los Angeles Angels outfielder is a two-time AL MVP and a seven-time All-Star. In 2015, he became the first player in 38 years to homer leading off an All-Star Game, then became the first player to take home the Midsummer Classic’s MVP award two years in row. He homered off the Mets’ Jacob deGrom in the third inning of this year’s game on Tuesday night.
Player marketing requires one thing for sure — the player,” Manfred said earlier in the day. “You cannot market a player passively. You can’t market anything passively. You need people to engage with those to whom you are trying to market in order to have effective marketing. We are very interested in having our players more engaged and having higher profile players and helping our players develop their individual brand. But that involves the player being actively engaged.”
Manfred said Trout chooses not to spend his down time marketing.
“Mike’s a great, great player and a really nice person, but he’s made certain decisions about what he wants to do and what he doesn’t want to do, and how he wants to spend his free time and how he doesn’t want to spend his free time,” Manfred said. “That’s up to him. If he wants to engage and be more active in that area, I think we could help him make his brand really, really big. But he has to make a decision that he’s prepared to engage in that area. It takes time and effort.”
FROM ESPN.COM
Monumental mashing: Ranking D.C.'s record 10 All-Star Game homers
By David Schoenfield
WASHINGTON -- Don't be ashamed. It's OK to admit you like home runs. You can still go on YouTube and watch highlights of your favorite skinny dudes and slap-hitting middle infielders from the 1970s and '80s in their too-tight pullover jerseys and beltless pants swinging at 86 mph fastballs. That brand of baseball was fun. All brands of baseball are fun.
That style of game, however, no longer exists. Not in 2018. It's all about power hitters and power pitching. The big guys hit home runs, the little guys, the in-between guys, the middle infielders and at
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the 89th All-Star Game, it seemed as if everyone hit home runs, as the AL pulled out a wild 8-6 victory in 10 innings Tuesday night at Nationals Park.
There were a record 10 home runs hit, four more than the previous mark from 1971, and as many as the previous six All-Star Games combined. Jean Segura looked like the hero and then Scooter Gennettwas the hero and then a pair of Astros -- Alex Bregman and George Springer -- homered off a Dodgers pitcher and suddenly we flashed back to last October. All six home runs in 1971 came from future Hall of Famers; I'm guessing some of the 10 players who connected in this game will end up in Cooperstown as well, and even if you don't like home runs, we can at least appreciate the talent we saw on display.
Here's how crazy this game turned out: There were tying or go-ahead home runs hit in the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th innings. The last time that happened in any regular season, postseason or All-Star Game was Aug. 7, 2002, between the Mariners and Blue Jays.
So, on this night of home runs, let's review all 10, ranked in order of drama.
1. Alex Bregman off Ross Stripling (10th inning, 376 feet)
This quote from Astros manager A.J. Hinch after the game says a lot about Bregman's rise to All-Star status: "I'm not sure if anyone I've come across in the big leagues loves baseball more than Alex Bregman. It starts with that and he continues to get better."
The 24-year-old third baseman has 20 home runs, already topping the 19 he hit last season. Before the game, Bregman had a simple explanation for his increased power output: "Pull the ball hard in the air." Against Stripling, he took a cutter down the middle on his first pitch and then "went into battle mode and just was trying to put a line drive in play and it left the yard. It was crazy." Yep. He hit the ball hard and hit it in the air.
There's also a neat tie-in between Bregman and Washington, D.C. His grandfather was general counsel for the Senators. "My dad grew up on Ted Williams' lap," Bregman said, referring to Williams' stint as Senators manager. The trophy Bregman won as the game's MVP? The Ted Williams MVP Trophy. His dad had a photo of him and Williams that Williams had signed. "I looked at that picture for 10 years growing up and our only thing, growing up, my dad always told me, 'You've got to be the next guy to hit .400 in the big leagues.'"
2. Scooter Gennett off Edwin Diaz (ninth inning, 396 feet)
This was pretty awesome -- except for all the writers who had their noses in their laptops writing their Segura MVP stories. Sorry, writers!
3. Jean Segura off Josh Hader (eighth inning, 390 feet)
Segura plays maybe the most loaded position in the majors -- American League shortstop. Even though he hit .323 in the first half and is on pace for more than 100 runs scored, he was stuck in the selection process behind Manny Machadoand Francisco Lindor and the made his second All-Star team as the winner of the Final Vote.
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He stepped in as a pinch hitter with the score tied against Hader, a guy who had never given up three runs in 66 career major league appearances and held hitters to a .122 average in the first half. Against one of the nastiest lefties in the business, Segura fouled off a 3-2 slider and then a 3-2 fastball and then belted a three-run homer off a 95 mph four-seamer. For a few moments, it appeared Segura would follow in the footsteps of teammate Robinson Cano as All-Star Game MVP. As for Hader, he got into even more hot water after the game when racist and anti-gay tweets he had posted as a teenager surfaced.
4. George Springer off Ross Stripling (10th inning, 399 feet)
The last time we saw Springer face the Dodgers was in the World Series and he killed them then as well, hitting five home runs -- including in Games 4, 5, 6 and 7 -- to win MVP honors. None of those came off Stripling, so he added another notch against a Dodgers pitcher to his belt. At least it didn't come off Yu Darvish. (What, too soon, Dodgers fans?)
Springer entered the All-Star break in a deep slump, hitting .143 over his previous 23 games -- without a home run. "Hopefully it will help me out," he said. "It's obviously a good day for myself and a lot of guys in here. ... For anyone who says [the All-Star Game] isn't competitive, it was extremely competitive." Usually, Bregman follows Springer in the Astros' order. This time, Springer ended up following Bregman. "I love hitting in front of him in the season and got a chance to hit behind him for once."
Bregman had a prediction: "I think George Springer is going to be hot for the second half now, the back-to-back push."
5. Mike Trout off Jacob deGrom (third inning, 401 feet)
Any Trout home run is a thing of perfection. This one gave the AL a 2-1 lead, cemented Trout's growing legend as Mr. All-Star -- he has had a hit in all six games in which he has played and has won two MVP awards -- and made him the early MVP front-runner as the game settled into a pitcher's duel for several innings.
This is how good Trout is: In the first inning, he drew an eight-pitch walk off Max Scherzer. Mind you, Scherzer hadn't thrown a 98 mph pitch all season and three of his 19 pitches in the first inning hit that mark. (There were 74 pitches all game thrown at 98 mph or faster. And you wonder why there were 25 strikeouts in the game. The amazing thing is there weren't 35.) Anyway, Trout fouled off a 97 mph fastball and 98.5 mph fastball with two strikes to remain alive. Facing deGrom, the Mets right-hander threw him fastballs of 98.8, 97.9 and 98 mph (Trout fouled two off) and then tried to slip a 91.8 mph sinker past him and Trout hits it out. Amazing.
6. Trevor Story off Charlie Morton (seventh inning, 375 feet)
Fun fact: Story has 68 RBIs, the most ever for a National League shortstop at the All-Star break. This tied the score and came right around the time dark clouds and a brisk wind arrived at the ballpark, with the weather report indicating rain was hovering in the near vicinity. Luckily, the only thing raining ended up being home runs.
7. Aaron Judge off Max Scherzer (second inning, 399 feet)
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None of the home runs were monumental in distance, but this one felt like a rocket of a blast as a Judge connected on a 94.9 fastball -- granted, pretty down the middle. Better yet, Justin Verlander called it on Instagram before it happened.
"It was kind of funny actually," Judge said. "[I was] kind of getting ready to go hit and Verlander said, 'I got a really good feeling about this man, I think you're going to hit a home run at this at-bat so just get ready.' That first one I fouled off so I was like, all right, there's no chance at the way Scherzer was throwing, but I was able get that second one so that was a pretty cool moment."
Hinch wasn't necessarily as impressed with his star pitcher's psychic abilities. "I think we get away with calling a lot of things. We always call the home run and I would call home runs usually when Judge is up."
8. Joey Votto off J.A. Happ (10th inning, 409 feet)
After the AL had scored three runs in the top of the inning, Votto led off the bottom of the 10th with the longest home run of the night. For a moment, it seemed the three-run lead wasn't going to be safe, but Happ then retired the final three batters.
9. Christian Yelich off Charlie Morton (eighth inning, 380 feet)
Opposite field. Pretty sweet. Yelich actually has some of the best exit velocity totals in the game; he just doesn't hit enough fly balls to be a big home run guy. This one sort of seemed like an afterthought at the time as everyone was digging up information on Segura's career and expecting Diaz to close it out and the magical Mariners season was going to continue and how even if Seattle isn't going to beat out the Astros they can still make their first postseason since 2001 and you never know, you just have to get in and anything can happen.
10. Willson Contreras off Blake Snell (third inning, 364 feet)
I love that Contreras took a nice pause after his swing ... even though the ball ended up clearing the fence by just a few inches. That's the power game in 2018: Every ball in the air seems to have a chance of being a home run.
Baseball lightens up, goes deep at the Midsummer Classic
By Jerry Crasnick
WASHINGTON -- As Major League Baseball transitions to a new era marked by home runs, strikeouts and fewer balls than ever making contract with grass and dirt, the game's decision-makers are plunging ahead with a new mandate: package the home runs, strikeouts and 98 mph fastballs with technological innovation, and sell it in a way that will make for must-see viewing during "jewel" events.
There will never be a more compelling test lab than the 2018 All-Star Game -- when new-school ball combined with NBA-style marketing to provide a snapshot of where the game is headed.
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Monday night at Nationals Park, hometown favorite Bryce Harperstaged a frantic comeback to win the Home Run Derby and send a sellout crowd home happy. The eight Derby participants launched a record 221 home runs, amid a barrage of fancy graphics and Statcast readouts.
On Tuesday, Mike Trout and Aaron Judge got things rolling with early solo shots. The teams combined for an All-Star Game record 10 home runs while striking out 25 times in the American League's 8-6 victory in 10 innings.
All those whiffs and trots were interspersed with some entertaining glimpses of players letting down their hair and doing their best to engage. Matt Kemp, Charlie Blackmon, Francisco Lindor, Trout and Harper were among the players mic'd up for the national TV broadcast. Trout, Judge and Mookie Betts posed for group selfies in the outfield during a pitching change. And during one juncture early in the game, Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer took to his Twitter account and marveled at the parade of pitchers lighting up the radar gun.
"I love it," Lindor said. "This is a show. We are entertainers. People want to see home runs. People want to see strikeouts. They also want to feel they're in the dugout with us or out at shortstop with me. Having the mic on and being able to interact with guys on the field, that was awesome. Those things are great."
The All-Star Game is typically a time for the game to pause and reflect, and commissioner Rob Manfred and Players Association executive director Tony Clark addressed several prominent issues during their traditional Baseball Writers Association luncheon Tuesday. Along with shifts, the designated hitter and potential labor strife, they addressed the nettlesome question of whether MLB does enough to market its most charismatic and recognizable players.
The conversation inevitably turned to Trout, a no-frills guy who would rather spend his offseasons at home in Millville, New Jersey, cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles and going hunting than jetting around the country to appear in promotional campaigns.
"Mike has made decisions on what he wants to do, doesn't want to do, how he wants to spend his free time or not spend his free time," Manfred said. "I think we could help him make his brand very big. But he has to make a decision to engage, and that takes time and effort."
Upon leaving the park late Tuesday, Trout reiterated that he would prefer not to stretch himself too thin.
"I do as much as I can, but it's a long baseball season," Trout said. "I've got to pick and choose when I want to do things and go from there."
Before some late, disturbing revelations about Milwaukee's Josh Haderreinforced the hazards of social media, the All-Star Game and its related activities served as a showcase for Trout and several other players entrusted with carrying the banner for the game:
• With his Derby performance, Harper appeared to be enjoying himself for the first time in his free-agent walk year. He showed a thoughtful, introspective side that conflicted markedly with the dour Bryce on display in April, May and June. Will he unwind, stage a second-half comeback and lead the
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Nationals to the postseason in what might be his final season in Washington, or retreat into his cocoon before hitting the open market in November?
• Trout showed once again why he's the game's marquee player. With his third-inning home run off Jacob deGrom, he is a career 7-for-15 (.467) in the All-Star Game. That might have to suffice for now on the big stage, because the Angels are 14 games out of first place in the AL West and have very slim odds of making it to the postseason.
• Manny Machado, the undisputed prize of the trade deadline market, did an admirable job of addressing the flood of media requests without cracking. Machado vowed to have a good time in D.C., and he snapped selfies with Kemp and Nick Markakis at second base in what was almost certainly his final appearance in an Orioles uniform. Mercifully, for him, the uncertainty is about to end.
"It was tough," Trout said. "He was probably sick of it. He just wanted to find out where he was going. He's a great dude and a great person off the field. They're saying Dodgers, so I'm sure he'll like it in L.A."
• Judge, who won the Home Run Derby last season, went deep against Max Scherzer in the first inning to become the youngest Yankees hitter since Mickey Mantle in 1956 to homer in a Midsummer Classic. Now he'll head back to the Bronx and take part in what will be an epic AL East race against the Boston Red Sox.
No matter how things unfold from here, Trout, Harper and friends will always have Washington. There will be the inevitable debate over MLB's new media approach -- is it inspired, or merely frivolous and gimmicky? But the long-term stakes are high enough that folks in Manhattan will spend a lot of time tinkering with the formula.
"There's a ton of personality in our game," said A.J. Hinch, the American League's All-Star manager. "But sometimes baseball gets a little bit of a side-swipe -- that we are this boring sport that methodically goes through the games. And yet, if you allow the players to be themselves and showcase themselves, you're amazed what you find out about these guys.
"For this event, it was great trial and error. I don't know how it played out socially. But from the players' perspective, to be able to let loose a little bit and enjoy each other was pretty cool."
Some innovations have limits, obviously. MLB is never going to let players carry cellphones in real games, because texting catcher's signs from second base would be problematic. But in-game interviews, on-field microphones and social media outreach are potential vehicles to advance MLB's goal of reaching a younger demographic.
That idea sits well with Lindor, a charismatic, bilingual star with all the attributes to be a prime face of the game for years to come. Upon leaving the clubhouse Tuesday, Lindor wore a black fedora, Gucci shoes and a fire-engine-red backpack over his shoulders. He knows a little bit about style.
"I'm not trying to disrespect anybody," Lindor said. "The game is played extremely well, and the guys who set up the path for me to be playing this game did a tremendous job. I'm blessed to be here. But it's a different era. Social media has grown a lot."
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The "three true outcomes" style of ball -- home runs, strikeouts and walks -- isn't going away anytime soon. Can baseball find a way to combine it with more compelling personal narratives in the years to come? There's an awful lot riding on the answer.
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