The MLB All-Star Game rosters were announced, Dwyane Wade got a very wealthy offer from an unexpected team, and a guy can ride his BMX like it’s nothing… while standing on the handlebars. It’s go time, here at the Wednesday Cheat Sheet…
The MLB All-Star Game is basically a Cubs-Red Sox exhibition game
The MLB All-Star Game is coming up July 12 at Petco Park, and the rosters were announced on Tuesday, as I have a full post detailing. 7 Chicago Cubs are on the National League roster and 6 Boston Red Sox are on the American League roster. And the entire Cubs infield was voted in as starters.
Here are the game’s starters:
Here is your starting lineup for the 2016 NL All-Star team. pic.twitter.com/s7WCUD8xBO
— Baseball Tonight (@BBTN) July 5, 2016
Here is your starting lineup for the 2016 AL All-Star team. pic.twitter.com/xW6zSYfDeo
— Baseball Tonight (@BBTN) July 5, 2016
As I explained in my post on the topic, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Ben Zobrist making it in as starters is fine, but Addison Russell should not be in at shortstop over Corey Seager. That’s me, a Cubs fan, even saying that; I love Addison Russell like he’s my own son. But, with fan voting, you’re going to get a couple of those every year. And you’re going to get fans of big market teams stuffing the hell out of ballot boxes when their teams are good, as the Cubs and Red Sox are of course right now.
And on the topic of fan voting, there is the annual fan vote for the final roster spot for each team. It makes for incredibly annoying baseball Twitter over these next few days, but it’s cool to let fans decide what snubbed player deserves to get in now. Here are the Final Vote nominees:
NL #FinalVote candidates: Belt, SF Braun, MIL Lamb, ARI Marte, PIT Story, COLhttps://t.co/AOTyLAxGBZhttps://t.co/iGEwvnR9bg — MLB (@MLB) July 5, 2016
AL #FinalVote candidates:
Kinsler, DET
Longo, TB
Pedroia, BOS
Saunders, TOR
Springer, HOUhttps://t.co/AOTyLAxGBZhttps://t.co/NmE6YAApaY— MLB (@MLB) July 5, 2016
Give me Jake Lamb and George Springer. The AL one is super close but I’ll take Springer just because he would be a lot of fun to watch in the Home Run Derby (which could really use some good participants).
The Nuggets have offered Dwyane Wade a crapload of money and are meeting with him today in NYC
The Denver Nuggets — yes, the Denver Nuggets — have reportedly offered Dwyane Wade a two-year deal worth over $50 million. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Nuggets will meet with Wade today in New York. Woj adds that the the Chicago Bulls also remain very interested in signing the 34-year-old shooting guard:
The Nuggets have been aggressive in pursuit of Wade, offering a two-year, approximately $52 million contract, sources said. The Chicago Bulls have maintained significant interest in Wade and may still decide to join the Nuggets in New York for a meeting with Wade, league sources said.
The Heat have only offered two years, $40 million, and Woj explains how Wade is unhappy with the offer:
The Miami Heat have countered with a two-year, approximately $40 million offer, but Wade seems determined in his desire for a longer term contract, league sources said. Wade’s been unhappy with a lower initial offer from Miami, which was partly due to the need to re-sign center Hassan Whiteside and pursue All-Star forward Kevin Durant. Nevertheless, Wade, who has become synonymous with the South Florida sporting community, has been aggressive in the marketplace, letting teams know that he’s serious about considering a move out of Miami, sources said.
Woj also notes how the Nuggets and Bulls could all be a leverage ploy by Wade, and that seems like the most likely scenario if you ask me. ESPN’s Marc Stein adds that “most league observers” still expect Wade to land in Miami:
The Heat were more than $10 million short of Denver’s offer at last report but most league observers still expect D-Wade to wind up in Miami — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 6, 2016
Whatever the case, Wade going to a rebuilding Nuggets squad seems like a pretty far-fetched idea, unless he really wants the extra cash they’re offering.
Quick Hits
– Chicago police are investigating Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang for sexual assault. Ugh.
– Jacksonville Jaguars running back Denard Robinson was found asleep by the police in his car… in a pond. There will surely be more details to come on this one. And the GPS is probably not to blame for this one.
– You probably haven’t heard much about Kevin Durant and the Warriors over the last three days! So here’s some reading material for you:
Kevin Durant to the Warriors may be the start of a dynasty.
The Warriors are historically huge favorites to the win the title.
Kevin Durant’s poster comes down in OKC :(.
– Rick Reilly… still awful. Maybe more awful than ever, actually. The responses to that are fantastic though. My favorite one (which is very NSFW).
– Giancarlo Stanton (twice) and Manny Machado hit crazy dingers last night.
– David Ortiz was like the angriest person to ever hit a single. Papi, dude, a single is still good.
– Rio police are telling tourists that they won’t be able to protect them. Just cancel these Olympics already.
– Someone drew a big ol’ dick on the Tour de France course.
– Chris Evans decided he’d had enough of being a Top Gear host after just six episodes.
– This is interesting: Call of Duty almost ditched modern warfare for ancient Rome.
– St. Louis, in one photo.
– Netflix is coming to Comcast’s X1 service within a year.
– A Canadian man got into a fistfight with a bear, and won.
One last breath of gratuitous procrastination
What’s crazier? This trick or the person you’d have to be to get good at this? You’d better have the best helmet on the market if you’re to give this a try.
Update, July 2021: This video has been removed.
