Ballin’ at the Bank | Sports Daily Newsletter

Kevin McGonigle was home, and he was worried.

No, not worried about missing curfew — though the 21-year-old rookie was back sleeping in his childhood bed. The Delco native and Bonner-Prendergast alumnus was worried his own people would boo him during the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. He was in a Detroit Tigers uniform, after all.

No matter. He was treated to a warm welcome and then helped the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League. And before the action, he got to meet one of his childhood heroes, Chase Utley.

The stars from the “senior circuit” managed just three hits, none of which came off the bats of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, or Brandon Marsh. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in the first inning that proved to be all the AL needed.

But it was still a night to remember for the Phillies contingent.

— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓Now with the All-Star Game behind us, what would you like to see the Phillies do at the trade deadline? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Like we said, the NL team didn’t exactly light up the night in South Philly. But inside the stadium, the vibes were electric for Phillies fans and out-of-towners alike — booing and all.

And even if you couldn’t get into Citizens Bank Park for the marquee events of the past couple days, there was plenty to do in town. One of those free events was the red carpet at Independence Park. We can catch you up on the highlights, including some of the best outfits for the players and their families. The Schwarbers’ family ’fit was super cute!

Baseball bigwigs also discussed some heavy topics, too, from Harper’s video that was used by FanDuel to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

Next: The Phillies are back in action tomorrow at Citizens Bank Park against the New York Mets (7:10 p.m., ESPN). Christian Scott (2-1, 3.17 ERA) will face a Phillies starter to be determined.

It’s been a whirlwind for Mike Gansey.

First, a new job. Then, it was off to the Bahamas to see standout guard VJ Edgecombe in action. This past week, he’s been getting a look at first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. in summer league action.

Oh, and in between, he pulled off a blockbuster trade with the rival Boston Celtics and brought in Jaylen Brown in exchange for Paul George and draft picks.

In the meantime, his family still needs to find a house in the area.

Gansey sat down with The Inquirer to go over the past few weeks and take us inside the Brown deal.

Next: Summer league action continues today against the Orlando Magic (4 p.m., ESPNU) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

It’s almost time for another season, and there sure have been a lot of new names to get to know ahead of camp. Whether they’re entering their first NFL season or are in the twilight of their careers, we’ll break down all you need to know about each newcomer.

Today’s duo will aim to man the trenches on either side of the ball, and one of them is yet another Georgia Bulldog drafted by Howie Roseman and Co.

Next: The NFL season is fast approaching, and the Eagles will report to training camp on July 28.

Development camp is in the rear-view mirror, and preseason is still a ways away. But that doesn’t mean the hockey world is asleep.

The Athletic recently published its assessment of the NHL’s top 100 prospects, notably the Flyers’ Porter Martone at No. 3. And, while the Flyers didn’t have much representation on the list, Martone wasn’t alone, and a Penn State product topped the rankings.

While the scene at Citizens Bank Park was festive last night, the scene on this night 19 years ago surely wasn’t as jubilant as the Phillies became the first American professional sports team to lose 10,000 games on July 15, 2007.

The St. Louis Cardinals won, 10-2, on that “steamy” night at Citizens Bank Park, and future Hall of Famer Scott Rolen scored the game’s first run. The Phils won the NL East that season — and won it all a year later — but July 15 will always bear a bit of a stain. If you want to take a walk down memory lane, here’s our story from that night.

DASHE NAWU

This former top prospect out of Ohio State is doing what he can to crack the Eagles roster at the cornerback position after an unsuccessful go at a few other spots. Think you know? Take a guess and then click here to see if you’re correct. Answer: Shaun Wade.

We asked you: With the MLB All-Star Game leading off tonight, we wanted to know how many Phillies players have hit a home run in a game?

Answer: D, Five. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto hit the last one during the 2023 All-Star Game at Coors Field in Colorado, but his blast was the first one by a Phillies player in 31 years and was just the fifth all-time since the inception of the event.

We asked: Which sport do you think delivers the best All-Star event?

Baseball. All star games in the other sports are more like glorified practices. — Richard V.

There is no doubt about it, baseball has the best all star event of any major sport. — Stuart P.

Major League Baseball’s All-Star game is by far the best. The history alone is special and has been since the first one at Comisky Park in 1933. Babe Ruth played in 2, but the record for most appearances goes to Hank Aaron with 25 closely followed by Stan Musial and Willie Mays. The NBA AS game is fun to watch too, but no match for baseball’s best. — Everett S.

The only All Star game worth watching is baseball. The two teams compete and actually care if they win the game. Basketball and hockey All Star games are a farce where no one bothers playing defense. Football is a complete abomination where they don’t even play the sport they are paid to play. Pro football players playing flag football? Not worth the time to watch. — Tom E.

MLB by default. The NBA are not really games. No defense. More like pick-up games at the playground. The NHL are shoot out’s with no checking. The NFL stopped their real All Star games as they didn’t want any injuries and settled for “flag football.” Now baseball is the real thing. Last nights Home Run Derby will be hard to beat. All 8 players last night wanted to win the contest. The winner last night had ice in his veins. He would sure look good in a Phillies uniform! The players in the NBA, NFL & NHL couldn’t care less on who wins what. As a paying fan, I also couldn’t care less and will not attend or watch their stupid All Star events on TV. The baseball All Star events are IMO fun & interesting. — Ronald R.

None are very good. Baseball used to have the best until interleague play, and now it’s kind of so what? The NFL is ridiculous, the NBA is ridiculous, and the NHL, I really don’t follow but may soon if the Flyers decide to become competitive — Bill M.

All of the four major sports have evolved into multi-day events with different types of skills competition. I love the tradition of MLB baseball with the NL vs the AL, though it has been somewhat diminished with the advent of inter-league play. As a kid, I would keep score of the game and get frustrated with the multiple substitutions. The other sports are now mere showcases. — Bob C.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Gabriela Carroll, Ariel Simpson, Lochlahn March, Matt Breen, Scott Lauber, Gina Mizell, Ryan Novozinsky, Mia Messina, and Sam Carchidi.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading along! Kerith will be back in your inboxes tomorrow morning. — Maria