Two mid-summer events are the highlights for this week.
The 79th annual MLB All-Star Game takes some added meaning this week. First, it’s the last All-Star Game to be played in the venerable Yankee Stadium. Second, Fox and MLB are making a big deal about it. There are plenty of events happening including the Home Run Derby on Monday that ESPN will carry starting at 8 p.m. with Chris Berman yelling and Joe Morgan pontificating. Then on Tuesday, Fox has a red carpet parade starting at 7 p.m., with the actual game starting sometime after 8 p.m. (probably 8:30 p.m. after all of the introductions). The American League leads the series, 41-35 with 2 ties. The outcome of the game has home field advantage for the winning league so as Fox says, “This one counts.” But the big star of the evening will be Yankee Stadium which is in its last year of use. Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Ken Rosenthal will call the game. ESPN Radio has the call if you’re away from your TV.
The other big event is golf’s third major of the year, the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Known in the US as the British Open, the tournament is wide open as Tiger Woods is not participating, recuperating from knee surgery. Since the action during the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday will take place when many of us are at work, there is live streaming of the event at CBSSports.com. If you are at home, TNT will have extensive coverage of the first two rounds starting at 7 a.m. TNT will also provide early 3rd and final round coverage Saturday and Sunday at 7 a.m. and 6 a.m. respectively. ABC will start its coverage Saturday morning at 9 and Sunday at 8 a.m.
There is an official PGA Tour event and that’s the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee and Golf Channel will have all four rounds.
The LPGA heads to Springfield, IL for the State Farm Classic. ESPN2 will have coverage throughout the weekend.
When baseball returns from its All-Star break, some of the series to watch will be the Cubs at Houston, the Dodgers at Arizona in a battle for first in the National League West, the AL East leading Red Sox travel out west to take on the West leading Anaheim Angels. Other series to watch, the Mets, just a half game out of first in the NL East are in Cincinnati and the Phillies who are holding onto the lead by a thread are in Florida to face off against the Marlins. Fox has the Red Sox-Angels and Phillies-Marlins on Saturday. And ESPN has the Red Sox-Angels Sunday night at 6, note the early time because of some silly awards show that ESPN will air later that night.
NASCAR takes the week off.
IndyCar has the Honda Indy Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio on Sunday. ABC has the race at 1:30 p.m.
Formula 1 has the German Grand Prix on Sunday.
In tennis, this week begins the US Open Series leading up to the U.S. Open in August. The men head to Indiana for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, while the women will be in California for the Bank of the West Classic. Tennis Channel and ESPN2 team up for coverage leading to the finals on Sunday.
And that’s a look at your Week Ahead.
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