Grip on Sports: Everyone digs the long ball when it travels as far as it did last night

A GRIP ON SPORTS • You like to see baseballs travel a long way? Then last night was for you. Read on.

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• There was a memorable commercial back in the late 90s – also known as the steroid era of baseball – featuring a couple of Hall of Fame caliber pitchers.

Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, two guys who painted the edges of the plate and got by with more guile than power, were playing catch as batting practice went on behind them.

Mark McGuire, the poster boy for performance-enhancing drugs, was driving the ball out of the stadium. Two women watched, enthralled.

The tag line: Chicks dig the long ball.

Thanks Nike.

But it’s true. And not just “chicks” dig the long ball. Most everyone does. It’s why the hypocrites running baseball back then didn’t crack down on steroids until public pressure and Congress made them.

And it’s also why the Home Run Derby is so much fun.

Well that and a New York Yankee won.

Baseball is always better when the Yankees are good, right? (Yes, there is some bitterness in that last statement.) Right now, New York’s team – and, really, it’s only team – features the most impressive young talent in the game, derby winner Aaron Judge.

The behemoth from Fresno State has emerged, Godzilla-like, this season to dominate baseball’s skyline.

He leads the majors in home runs (30). He leads it in runs (75) and on-base percentage (.449). And, as befits his 6-foot-7, 7,000-pound frame, he leads in slugging (.697).

OK, we exaggerate. He only weighs 280.

But it seems like more. Especially when he hits the ball as far as he did last night.

When he does, he makes everyone dig the long ball.

• If you were wondering when the S-R would fill the opening in Pullman, covering the Washington State Cougars, wonder no longer.

Theo Lawson, who has been covering the Idaho Vandals for the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, will be crossing the border – literally and figuratively – in a couple weeks, becoming the S-R’s newest WSU reporter.

He’ll be part of our coverage of the Cougars this fall’s football season, coverage that promises to be more in-depth than ever.

When Theo has his first byline on this sight, we’ll be here to link it. And we also look forward to working with him come the football season.

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WSU: Hey, there is some Cougar news today. Three Washington State players, were part of the major award watch lists released yesterday. … Around the Pac-12, Utah is pretty happy with its secondary. … I couldn’t let this obituary pass by. Jim Bush was a legend in our house growing up. His Bruins and John Chaplin’s Cougars had some memorable moments.

Gonzaga: Jesse Wade (right) has deep GU roots, deeper than most might imagine. … Zach Collins is at home in Las Vegas. … BYU has added a couple of guards to its roster. … We pass along this San Jose news here only because Dave Wojcik’s brother Doug worked at GU for a couple years.

Golf: The Rosauers Open Invitational is this weekend at Indian Canyon. And Corey Prugh is one of the favorites. As Jim Meehan points out, there is nothing odd about that. … Spokane has produced its share of the state’s best golf talent over the years.

Chiefs: Former Spokane star Tyler Johnson is set financially after signing an extension with Tampa Bay.

Indians: Spokane earned a series win over Hillsboro with a 6-3 victory last night. Johnathan Curley has the game story and Whitney Ogden delves a bit deeper. … Rob Curley has a column on the Indians’ contribution to tonight’s Major League All-Star Game. … Around the Northwest League, Everett lost again but Eugene snapped its losing streak. … Boise took its series against Vancouver.

Mariners: Speaking of the All-Star Game, the Mariner representatives are ready to go, despite nagging injuries. … Ryan Divish is in Miami and has a story on Justin Smoak, who has finally blossomed this season, and another on a couple of Seattle-area guys who the M’s decided to pass over. … This is fun.

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• A quick note for the weekend. It’s the beginning of three consecutive weeks of basketball for us, so the columns will be hit and miss for a while. I know we will not be here on Saturday, as we have an early morning already scheduled. Plan accordingly. Until later …