07/12 (Cano) Quickie

Another moment for "parents and kids" in sports. If last week's tragedy of Shannon and Cooper Stone was just about the worst thing I could possibly imagine, then last night's moment between Robinson Cano and his dad Jose was up near the best.

Robinson had his dad -- an erstwhile Major Leaguer years ago -- pitch to him in the Home Run Derby, and Cano crushed it (both of 'em). Robinson had 32 home runs to win the event, including a record-setting 12 in the finals. His home runs were spectacular.

Even better was the joyful hug shared between the parent and kid when Cano secured the Derby title. It shares a link with every parent who has ever softly pitched a ball to their kid -- earlier this year, I started doing that with my own kids; it's a wonderful moment.

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Two other notable things about last night's Derby:

(1) The guy who caught a ball while jumping from the edge of the pool in the outfield into the water -- while still holding his beer with the lip of the cup just barely over the water line. It was spectacular -- frankly, I think it is the Web Gem of the season. Check it out here.

(2) The freaking moron who stood on a table in the outfield, then fell over it trying to catch a Prince Fielder ball. He needed his family and fans standing next to him to grab his ankles to keep him from plunging 20 feet below. To try something like that isn't just dangerous -- it is spitting in the face of everyone grieving for Shannon Stone. What a jerk/dope. Get more on that here.

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MLB All-Star Game tonight: "It counts," so there's that. But otherwise, it feels more notable for the storyline about the number of players NOT playing than the ones who are. I will inevitably tune in, because who doesn't want to see Roy Halladay pitch to Jose Bautista, among other intriguing pitching matchups? I'm calling a low-scoring game, taut 'til the finish. (It would be nice if Fox at least mentioned the SB 1070 controversy -- I'm not holding my breath.)

(Meanwhile, Derek Jeter might be "exhausted" enough to skip the game, but I think that he owes it to the fans to at least show up. A lot of folks are pinning this on MLB for not escorting Jeter to the event, but it would be nice if Jeter took some initiative, too. BTW, speaking of Jeter: I would like to see the Yankees offer to pay the 3,000-hit guy's outstanding college loans -- roughly $100,000, which is easily what he could have gotten had he kept the ball and auctioned it off. It's a drop in the bucket for the team; if you appreciated the simple niceness of the fan, it would be great to see the team follow his lead.)

USWNT play France at 11:30 a.m. ET tomorrow on ESPN: The mid-day, mid-week major sports event (the epitome of which is, of course, the first two days of the NCAA Tournament) is one of my favorite moments of the sports calendar. If you can't watch, we'll try to make sure Quickish keeps you updated. (Twitter is a good bet, too.)

NFL labor deal by July 21? I think it happens. What a fun sprint until Labor Day that will be.

More later. Please pop by Quickish throughout the day for the best takes on the biggest topics, plus recommendations to other great stuff.

-- D.S.