SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
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SIMON: Baseball pennant races, presidential threat over name changes, and we've got to talk about Nick Kurtz. Sportswriter Howard Bryant joins us. Howard, thanks so much for being with us.
HOWARD BRYANT: Good morning, Scott. How are you?
SIMON: I'm fine, thanks. But how is Nick Kurtz feeling?
BRYANT: (Laughter).
SIMON: I mean, before we get to the pennant races, what a night - one of the greatest games in baseball history. Playing for the Oakland A's against the Houston Astros, 6 for 6, including four home runs - first time a rookie has done that, eight RBIs.
BRYANT: Incredible. And, Scott, my goodness. They're not the Oakland A's. They're just the A's. They play in Sacramento. It's so sad in a way, for all of the Bay Area, of course. But, yes, the A's 22-year-old rookie. His nickname, because he's from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is - they call him the Big Amish. They've been playing this game since the Civil War. It's only happened less than a dozen times. You know, Willie Mays hit four home runs in the game.
SIMON: Yeah.
BRYANT: Lou Gehrig hit four home runs in a game. Mike Schmidt did it. And so for him to have a game like that, and to go 6 for 6, I mean, we talk about no-hitters. We talk about perfect games. I mean, this is even rarer than that. What a night for a 22-year-old.
SIMON: American League pennant race, three-way race in the East between Yankees, Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. How did that happen? They're intruding on that Yankee-Sox rivalry, aren't they?
BRYANT: Well, the Yankee-Sox rivalry is a little bit down right now. The Yankees now - OK, the Yankees are the defending American League champions. But boy, what a season the Toronto Blue Jays are having. And they've got the best record in baseball right now. They are - and they just took care of the Detroit Tigers, who were also playing really, really well in the American League Central. And it's a great story, Scott, I think, when you look at these different teams.
I really enjoy this part of the season. Coming out of the All-Star break, it's a long grind. You got 162 games, so it's a daily chapter in a book, you know? You start looking, and you go, OK, who's - you know, you're not going to solve this. You know, we're not in September yet. But right now, in the middle of the summer, you've got some really, really good stories. The Milwaukee Brewers are having a great season. They're in first place. I mean, there are some teams that we knew were going to be there. The Yankees are close - I mean, obviously. The Dodgers are in first place. The Mets are really, really good, as they're supposed to be. But how about a little shoutout to those Toronto Blue Jays? Now, you know, the Blue Jays, the Tigers, even the Cubs are back. They're in second place. They're playing...
SIMON: What do you mean even the Cubs? Yes...
BRYANT: Well...
SIMON: ...The Cubs are back. Yes.
BRYANT: The Cubs have been down for a while, as well, so I think it's just great to see some of these teams. Now, of course, the Cubs have a ton of money, so maybe they don't get a pass as a small-market team. But it's fun right now. Let's see if they - let's see who can hold on when we get to September.
SIMON: President Trump threatened to derail a proposed stadium deal between Washington, D.C., and the NFL's Washington Commanders unless the team goes back to its former name, which is considered a slur. He also wants the Cleveland Guardians to revert back to their former name. Is there a clause in the Constitution that I missed that grants the executive branch powers to name pro sports teams?
BRYANT: (Laughter) Well, if it is, it's buried way deep in the Constitution, simply because there were no sports teams in 1787. It's fascinating. Number one, when we have - when there is government overreach or even interference in sports, what do we say? You know, you're not supposed to get involved in private business. And these are supposedly private businesses. And - but, you know, pressure is being exerted.
We live in a time right now, obviously, of great retrenchment. I think that these battles had been fought for so long and once they had been done - I agree with Chris Antonetti over - with the Guardians. We have a new brand. We are branding this team as the Cleveland Guardians. We are a good team. People have adapted, and let's go forward. I think the same is true in Washington. What is the point of going backwards? And it feels like the way, of course, that this - the reason why we're going backwards is simply because we're in a fight right now that we don't really need to be in. These teams are fine. Let's play ball.
SIMON: Howard Bryant, thanks so much.
BRYANT: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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