MLB attendance entering the All-Star break is down for 23 of 30 teams compared to the same time frame in 2019, representing a league-wide decrease of 6.4%.
Why it matters: The reasons for the decline are varied, but assuming the pace holds this will be the fifth consecutive non-pandemic-restricted season with declining attendance.
The National League looked like it may finally break the American League's winning streak at the Midsummer Classic Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. Then the rest of the game happened.
Game recap: The NL came out swinging in the first, notching four hits and two runs against Rays fireballer Shane McClanahan. They'd record just one more hit all night in an eventual 3-2 loss.
High-tech track spikes like those being worn at this week's World Athletics Championships have ushered in an era of blazing fast middle-distance runners (800-10,000 meters).
How it works: These "super spikes" — introduced by Nike in 2019 and adopted more widely in 2021 — improve runners' efficiency with a combination of cushiony foam and rigid carbon-fiber plates in the sole.
For the first time since 2000, someone other than Joe Buck will call play-by-play for the MLB All-Star Game. His name is Joe Davis, and his voice is about to become much more familiar.
The big picture: When Buck moved to ESPN earlier this year, Davis replaced him as Fox's lead MLB commentator. Tonight's call will be his biggest assignment to date — until this fall's World Series.
The backdrop: Soto's win came one day after reports surfaced that the Nationals are exploring trade possibilities for their generational superstar after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension.
University of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson will no longer use the nickname "AR-15" and will rebrand a line of merchandise linked to him.
Driving the news: Richardson had used "AR-15," a combination of his initials and his jersey number, as his brand, but now says it’s important his name is not linked in any way to the semiautomatic rifle used in several recent mass shootings.
