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šŸ“°šŸŸļø Wimble-done

Plus: Incoming gambler’s tax?

Good morning. Today we’re covering Major League Baseball’s All-Star starters, record upsets at Wimbledon, and much more.

Happy 4thšŸ‡ŗšŸ‡øšŸ».

—Peter & Kyle

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šŸ“ THE LIST

MLB All-Star starters revealed

Image: MLB

Eighteen smashmouth position players got the tap on the shoulder from their manager: ā€œHey now, you’re an All-Star.ā€ The 2025 MLB All-Star Game starters for both leagues were announced yesterday, with the complete rosters, including pitchers and reserve position players, set to be unveiled on Sunday.

American League

C - The Big Dumper, aka Cal Raleigh* of the Mariners

1B - Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays

2B - Gleyber Torres*, Tigers

SS - Jacob Wilson*, Athletics

3B - JosƩ Ramƭrez, Guardians

OF - Aaron Judge, Yankees (the AL's leading vote-getter)

OF - Riley Greene*, Tigers

OF - Javier BƔez, Tigers

DH - Ryan O’Hearn*, Orioles

National League

C - Will Smith*, Dodgers

1B - Freddie Freeman, Dodgers

2B - Ketel Marte, D-backs

SS - Francisco Lindor*, Mets

3B - Manny Machado, Padres

OF - Ronald AcuƱa Jr., Braves

OF - Pete Crow-Armstrong*, Cubs

OF - Kyle Tucker*, Cubs

DH - Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (the NL's leading vote-getter)

In the know: Aaron Judge became the first player to repeat as the leading All-Star Game vote-getter since A-Rod did it in 2007-08. Three Tigers players were also named starters, tied for the most with the Dodgers; the Motor City Kitties haven’t fielded an All-Star starter since Miguel Cabrera in 2014.

Looking ahead…The MLB is set to have a busier July than jet ski-rental companies in the Outer Banks. The All-Star Game and Draft both take place over the next two weeks, while the trade deadline goes into effect on July 31. 

*Denotes a first-time All-Star starter


šŸ”„ In partnership with Extra Points

The college sports newsletter serious fans can't ignore

While everyone else covers game recaps and recruiting rankings, Extra Points delivers the insights that explain what's really happening in collegiate athletics.

Recent deep dives from Matt Brown include:

  • šŸ€ Why college basketball video games are returning after a 12-year hiatus
  • šŸ¤” How programs will navigate the new college sports salary cap
  • šŸŸļø The biggest realignment moves happening this summer

4x weekly, you'll get the context and analysis that transforms confusing headlines into clear understanding. No fluff, no hot takes—just substantive reporting on the forces reshaping college sports.


ā±ļø CATCH UP QUICK

Headlines de la semaine

Image: Warner Bros.

šŸ€ Red Panda is going on the IR. Rong Niu, the halftime performance legend who goes by the name Red Panda, was hospitalized Tuesday night after suffering a serious fall during her show at the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game between the Lynx and Fever. It marks the first-ever major injury during a performance for Niu, 55, a veteran acrobat whose bowl-flipping unicycle act has been a fixture of NBA, WNBA, and NCAA halftimes since the early ā€˜90s, earning calls for her induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Her agency confirmed she suffered a broken left wrist, with treatment expected to take a few months. 

šŸƒ Congress’ megabill could add taxes to gambling losses. Professional gamblers nationwide are on tilt over a specific tax clause in the tax-and-spending bill that passed the Senate this week, which they say will significantly curb their earning potential. Currently, gamblers can deduct 100% of losses from their taxes. The new bill would drop that limit to 90%—a seemingly small change that makes a big difference. ā€œIt’s basically a huge in-built fee on choosing to engage in any form of gambling,ā€ said Maria Konnikova, a pro poker player and author. However, Congress’ bill will be voted on in the House later this week, where it may undergo further changes.

⚾ Steve Bartman’s got nothing on this guy. An Arizona Diamondbacks season ticket-holder interfered with a fly ball hit by a Giants player on Monday, turning a would-be game-tying home run into a ground-rule double instead. And it wasn’t his first rodeo—social media users noted it was the fifth time in the past four years that this particular D-Backs fan has interfered with a fly ball to left field (video). On Tuesday, the D-Backs announced the fan has been banned from their stadium for the rest of this season.


šŸŽ¾ WIMBLE-DONE

Things are hot at London’s All England Club, on and off the court

Image: Julian Finney/Getty

On the grass courts of London’s All England Club, top seeds are dropping faster than Wi-Fi in a down elevator. The tournament’s opening round saw a historic number of upsets.

  • Eight top-10 players (four men, four women) were eliminated in the first round, the most ever at a major in the Open Era, according to ESPN
  • It’s also the first time in the Open Era that two of the top-three women’s seeds—Coco Gauff (2) and Jessica Pagula (3)—have been eliminated in the first round. 
  • In total, 23 seeded players fell on day one.

Still standing: Last year’s champions Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova, who both advanced and remain in the running for back-to-back titles. See live updates here.

Not still standing: This ballboy, thanks to record-breaking temps.

Looking for standing: Players are competing for a total purse of ~$73M, a 7% increase from 2024 and double the prize money from a decade ago, according to the AELTC.

In the stands-ings (okay that was a stretch): David Beckham, Olivia Rodrigo, Russell Crowe, Leslie Mann, and more.


šŸ’¬ WORD ON THE STREET

Overheard

ā€œIt feels like a spring training kind of game every time I pitch, and every time other guys pitch.ā€

The Athletics gave SP Luis Severino the richest contract in franchise history this past winter, when they signed him to a three-year, $67M deal. 

But the two sides are currently barreling towards a Brangelina-style messy breakup. The reason? The A’s lack of extravagance in other areas.

  • According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the A’s now ā€œcan’t waitā€ to trade away Severino, after he’s repeatedly called out poor conditions at the minor-league stadium in Sacramento where the team is playing as they transition to Las Vegas.
  • His complaints include the ballpark’s small crowds, lack of AC, and how its clubhouse is located in the outfield instead of connecting to the dugout.

His home/road splits tell the story: The A’s starter is 0-7 with a 6.79 ERA when pitching in Sacramento, and 2-2 with a 3.04 ERA on the road. 

How does he explain the difference? ā€œ[It’s] because we play in a big-league stadium on the road,ā€ Severino told The Athletic.


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šŸ“° NEWS

What else is happening


šŸ¤” TRIVIA

Chips to the middle

It’s time for Franchise Roulette.

The roules rules: Below we’ve compiled three facts about a professional sports franchise—your challenge is to guess which franchise we’re talking about. Eligible franchises are those currently playing in the Big 4 (MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA).

Today’s team:

  • Was once owned by longtime Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz
  • Is the only pro sports team located in its state
  • Has won two total NBA championships

🌐 WEB GEMS

Interesting things to click

šŸ—³ļø Vote: For the 2025 ESPYS.

šŸ’° Explore: The Bag Hall of Fame, aka eight NFL players who got paid over and over and over again. 

🌭 Glizzy king returns: Joey Chestnut will compete in tomorrow’s Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, after being banned last year for striking a deal with plant-based food company Impossible Foods.

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šŸ¤” ANSWER

The Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle SuperSonics)