A Grip on Sports: An All-Star first brings back a happy memory but another first reminds us once again memorable moments don’t always last

A GRIP ON SPORTS • My jaw hurts badly. My peripheral vison? Not what it once was. Could there be some mortality-questioning going on inside my head? Certainly. Maybe that’s why two stories I read this morning hit so hard. Hard enough to make me want to share.

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• The first concerns Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, won by the National League 6-6. Read that again. It is not a typo. Though maybe I should have written it this way: National League 6 (4), American League 6 (3). That would explain it better.

But not completely. The game itself ended tied. After the requisite nine innings. Instead of allowing that result to stand, however, there was what was officially termed a “Home Run Swing Off” to decide the winner.

Fine and dandy, though I think calling it a “Mash Off” would be better. After all, that’s what it was. A chance for three players from each league to take three swings and see how often they could mash the ball. Turns out the National League, with Kyle Schwarber hitting three bombs, was best at bashing the ball out of the park and won. Thus the 4 and 3 in parentheses.

The ending was fine with me. This is an exhibition game. The four-year-old tie-breaking formula was used for the first time Tuesday and, though the American League didn’t send out their best mashers, the idea and its execution turned out to be exciting. And worth staying around for.

But it also reminded me of what we’ve lost.

No more extra inning All-Star games. Like the 15-inning affair in Anaheim Stadium in 1967, of which my dad and I watched each pitch from the highest point in the place, upper deck, down the right-field line. The only All-Star Game I’ve witnessed live. Almost a 2-for-1 experience.

That there were only three runs scored, total, was indicative of the way the game was played back then. That all three of the runs came via solo shots was not. That there were 30 strikesouts seem to be foreshadowing the sport’s future.

The boring, sweat in the late-afternoon Southern California sun, then shiver in the evening cold, event is still my favorite All-Star Game memory for one reason: I watched it with my dad.

His presence, and constant grumbling about the price of concessions, make it No. 1. Above the Pete Rose/Ray Fosse collision or Ichiro’s inside-the-park home run or two Seattle-based memories, Dave Parker’s throw and Cal Ripken’s move to shortstop.

Now we all can recall the first “Swing Off.” Maybe even put it on our lists. Especially if you watched it with someone special.

• I’ve thought Scottie Scheffler is someone special for a long time now. Not just on the golf course, either, where his specialness stands out like a dunked 64-foot, left-breaking putt. In life as well.

Today I know he is.

Scheffler opened up Tuesday before the world golf media gathered to cover the 153rd Open Championship in Northern Ireland. Shared his thoughts on being No. 1, winning major championships, practicing, pressure. And, in a surprisingly introspective moment, what’s important to him.

I’ve known for years Scheffler’s faith is crucial for him. And, as far as I can tell, he tries to live it every day. That’s always admirable. No matter in which faith – in Scheffler’s case, Christianity – the person believes.

And it’s become obvious in the past couple years, he values family deeply. He went even further Tuesday, making it clear if golf interfered with that part of his life, he would walk away from the game.

But he also delved deeper, trying to explain something it took me decades and decades to understand.

Goals are great. Working to reach those goals is even better. And achieving those goals, while exhilarating and rewarding, offers only a momentary blast of joy. Or fulfillment. Or happiness. Turns out, it really is the totality of the journey that matters. And who you share it with.

Scheffler is not yet 30 years old. He’s still early on in his life – and golf – journey. But listening to him speak yesterday, it is obvious he’s mature beyond his years. Has thought about what he does for a living, how his family fits into it, who is important to his vision and where and when success resides.

In other words, has faced the same questions, has found the same answers, many of us have. And those answers are not defined by raising a trophy.

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WSU: Around the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, there was big financial news Tuesday. Of course there was. Seems to happen about every other days in college sports in these times. This news event? The Pac-12 and Mountain West couldn’t come to a resolution of the lawsuits between the entities and some of the involved schools through mediation. The lawsuits will proceed. For now. Jon Wilner covers this in his column that is in the S-R today. As does John Canzano on his website. … There is national coverage as well. … We can pass along Stewart Mandel’s weekly college football mailbag today. … Washington has a lot of freshmen coming in. Christian Caple wonders who may play and who may redshirt. … Here is a preview of Washington State with an Oregon State perspective. … Freshman JuJu Lewis, one of the two Colorado quarterbacks vying for the starting spot, is confident he’ll win the job. … Can Arizona State repeat as Big 12 champion? … Playing at Boise State is still rewarding Kellen Moore, even as he enters his first year as an NFL head coach. … In basketball news, Utah State added to its women’s basketball coaching staff. … Finally, former Washington State star Bernard Lagat’s tenure as Arizona’s cross country coach ended in disappointment.

Gonzaga: Consider this a summer highlight. Drew Timme. Anton Watson. Teammates. Roommates. Opponents. The first two happened at Gonzaga. The last one at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. Theo Lawson was there to watch Watson and Timme match up, representing New York and Brooklyn, respectively, in NBA Summer League action. … Gonzaga (sixth seed) is included in CBS’ first 2026 projected NCAA bracket. So are most of the Zags’ nonconference opponents and Saint Mary’s (10). … How do you get there? Recruit well.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, former Montana football coach Bob Stitt is back where he experienced unparalleled success. … Montana and Montana State combined for seven members of a preseason FCS All-America team. The Bobcats had four of them. … UC Davis also had four. … Weber State has released its roster. … Northern Arizona’s new athletic director is committed to the Big Sky. The school has been a member for 55 years.

Mariners: We linked the All-Star Game story in the S-R above. And again here. … Cal Raleigh’s Home Run Derby win Monday moved him closer to legend status. … Eugenio Suárez isn’t averse to ending up in Seattle again. … Hey, another trade deadline column from the Times, this one from Mike Vorel. … There is also so much All-Star coverage we can’t begin to link every story but we do have a few we thought were worth passing on. And a couple more. … How can MLB fix its television issue? … In my mind, the use of ABS challenges in last night’s game was a big deal. It opened up a much-needed innovation to MLB fans. And showed how easily it worked. When the challenge system is added to regular season games next year, it will be greeted OK because of last night. And, hopefully, that will open the door to full-time ABS use down the road. … The L.A. Olympics released its baseball schedule. It was not what the MLB hoped for.

Storm: Ezi Magbegor has found her scoring touch once more.

Sounders: Seattle enjoys playing Colorado. Which is a good thing, considering the Rapids are at Lumen Field tonight. … FIFA is about ready to start selling World Cup tickets.

Seahawks: We linked this Bob Condotta story about the Hawks’ unsigned second-round picks yesterday in the Times. Here too now that is on the S-R site. … There is more on the situation as well. … Who is Seattle’s most-needed breakout player? … How will the rookies fit into the Hawks’ plans? … The NFL intelligentsia are still not sold on Sam Darnold even after 16 exceptional games last season.

Sonics: The NBA did take an incremental step forward on expansion yesterday. In 20 years, it might even be in the mood to do it.

Golf: The Rosauers Open may not be the No. 1 golf tournament in the world this weekend, but it is No. 1 in Spokane. And it has our No. 1 golf writer, Jim Meehan, covering it. He has a preview in today’s S-R. … We linked the story in the S-R about Scheffler above. We add coverage from others here. … The Open begins Thursday. Who will win?  … Can LIV change enough that its players can earn world ranking points? That may mean playing 72-hole tournaments, something it is averse to doing.

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• Sorry about being a little philosophical today. Hey, I’m no St. Augustine or anything – who is? – but every once in a while I try to put the ocean in a hole on the beach. Until later …