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From Jack Harris: Teoscar Hernández’s resurgent season with the Dodgers has been defined by the dramatics.
The veteran slugger’s first career appearance in the Home Run Derby was no different.
After advancing through each of the first two stages of Monday’s competition by just one home run, Hernández became the first Dodgers player in the event’s 40-year history to win, outslugging Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. by just one home run again, 14-13, in the final round at Globe Life Field on Monday night.
Hernández’s chances of even getting out of the opening round seemed in doubt early on, after the 31-year-old managed just 13 homers in the opening three-minute period of the eight-player first round.
However, in an untimed, three-out bonus period, Hernández caught fire, belting six home runs to edge out hometown Texas Rangers star Adolis García by one.
From there, the long balls kept on flying.
Hernández: Listen to Shohei Ohtani, Manfred. Prioritize 2028 Olympics over All-Star Game
From Buttermaker to All-Star: Paul Skenes finds his meteoric rise ‘pretty dang cool’
MLB draft Day 2: Three McLain brothers in pro baseball after Nick is selected in third round
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ANGELS
From Bill Shaikin: The Angels and the city of Anaheim agreed Monday to settle a two-year-old dispute, providing the team with $2.75 million in financial relief while granting the city the right to build a fire station on the Angel Stadium property.
The resolution announced Monday has no impact on the Angels’ long-term future at Angel Stadium, where the team’s lease expires in 2029. In a statement, the city said that issue was not raised during talks to settle the dispute and there are “no long-term talks underway now.”
In 2022, after the FBI disclosed allegations of corruption against then-mayor Harry Sidhu, the Anaheim City Council killed the deal in which Angels owner Arte Moreno and his company would have bought the stadium property, renovated or replaced the ballpark, and surrounded it with a village of homes, shops, restaurants, offices and hotels.
LAKERS
From Dan Woike: The rule, at least in the sectioned-off seats inside the gyms at NBA Summer League is to not overreact to the results on the court, that the rookies and young players are often not even really in the roles they’ll eventually fill on NBA courts.
But the assignment for Bronny James on Monday night against the Boston Celtics looked a lot like the one that has been presented for James’ future — defend and shoot. And for the fourth time since the Lakers drafted and signed James, the results were pretty rough.
James airballed two three-pointers, the crowd groaning as he started ice cold from beyond the arc. The detractors continued to murmur while supporters had to settle for moments such as a deflected pass and a defensive rebound that showcased his 40-plus-inch vertical until he swished a jumper in the fourth quarter for his only points.
CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, reiterated Monday during a new conference in Las Vegas that it was Team USA’s decision to send Kawhi Leonard home last week and not have him participate in the Paris Olympics later this month.
Grant Hill, the managing director of USA Basketball, said last week that it was his organization’s decision to change course with Leonard after watching practice for three days in Las Vegas and said the decision was made in consultation with the Clippers and Leonard. In a news conference last Wednesday, Hill changed course and said he made the decision.
“It was USA’s call and I was, quite frankly, very disappointed with the decision,” Frank said. “Kawhi wanted to play. We wanted him to play. I was there the first two practices, he looked very good … was a full participant in everything that they did. I wasn’t there for the third practice, where ultimately that was the point where they decided to go in a different direction. I expressed to them that I really wish that they would’ve given Kawhi more time.”
KINGS
Forward Quinton Byfield has agreed to a five-year, $31.25-million contract extension with the Kings.
The Kings announced the deal Monday for Byfield, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft. The contract runs through the 2028-29 season.
The 21-year-old Byfield made significant strides last season with the Kings, recording a career-high 20 goals and 35 assists while playing 80 games. He was the first Kings player to record a 20-goal season at his age since captain Anze Kopitar in 2007-08.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
From David Wharton: With all the tumult surrounding the 2024 Summer Olympics — problems both large and small — it isn’t entirely surprising that Parisians have threatened to stage a “poop protest.”
Their anger focuses on a plan to have triathletes and marathon swimmers compete in the Seine River, which has been fouled by sewage and trash for centuries.
It didn’t help when Mayor Anne Hidalgo offered to take a dip in the iconic waterway. A website with a poop emoji as its mascot sprang up to coordinate hundreds, if not thousands of people defecating along the banks on the day of her swim.
While it remains to be seen if the mayor — and her constituents — will make good on their respective pledges, the Paris 2024 organizing committee has plenty more issues to address. With the opening ceremony less than two weeks away, the list includes budget increases and worrisome poll numbers, a government investigation and political upheaval both at home and abroad.
OLYMPIC SOFTBALL
From Bill Shaikin: Natasha Watley grew up in Irvine, played softball at UCLA, won gold for Team USA 20 years ago. She lives in Los Angeles now, and she was excited to share her hometown and her sport with the current generation of Olympians.
Until last month, that is, when Olympic organizers announced that softball games for the 2028 L.A. Olympics would be played in Oklahoma City.
“To me, it almost felt like a slap in the face,” Watley said. “It’s the easy way out, to send everybody to Oklahoma.”
Watley and Jennie Finch, another of the 2004 gold medalists, joined Major League Baseball here this week as part of the All-Star Game festivities. Finch, who grew up in La Mirada, said she initially considered the decision to move Olympic softball games out of Los Angeles “heartbreaking.”
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1920 — Babe Ruth breaks his season record of 29 homers with his 30th, leading the New York Yankees past the St. Louis Browns, 5-2. Ruth ends the season with 54.
1920 — The United States sweeps Australia in five matches to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1913. The U.S. team is made up of Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston.
1947 — Rocky Graziano scores a technical knockout with a barrage of 30 punches against Tony Zale in the sixth round to win the world middleweight boxing title. Held in Chicago Stadium, it’s the largest grossing fight in history.
1950 — Uruguay beats Brazil 2-1 to win soccer’s World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.
1995 — Annika Sorenstam of Sweden wins the U.S. Women’s Open by one stroke over Meg Mallon, her first victory on the LPGA Tour.
2006 — J.R. Todd becomes the first Black driver to win an NHRA Top Fuel event, beating Tony Schumacher in the Mopar Mile-High Nationals.
2011 — Kyle Busch wins the Nationwide race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to become the third driver to win 100 races in NASCAR’s three national series. Busch, with 22 Cup victories and 29 Trucks wins, also ties Mark Martin for first place in career Nationwide Series victories with 49. Richard Petty and David Pearson are the other drivers with at least 100 wins.
2012 — Roger Federer surpasses Pete Sampras to set the record for the most weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings. After winning Wimbledon a week ago — his 75th career ATP title — Federer returns to the top for the first time since June 2010. Today marks his 287th week at No. 1, one more than Sampras.
2017 — Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4, to claim a record 8th Wimbledon men’s title.
2023 — Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: In a classic final, 20-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz ends Novak Đoković’s 34-match win streak at the All England Club with a 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.