LeBron to T-Wolves with Lamelo Ball, Ant-man & Rudy Gobert?!

Summary

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PTI Episode Summary

Podcast: Pardon the Interruption (PTI)
Hosts: Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon
Date: July 6, 2026
Episode Theme: Debate and analysis of the day’s biggest sports stories—including a controversial FIFA suspension, stunning developments at Wimbledon, the LeBron-to-Timberwolves rumor, and baseball’s growing pains.

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Main Theme / Purpose

This episode centers on the intersection of sports and power—how off-field influences shape results, major upsets and turning points at the World Cup and Wimbledon, and the feverish NBA offseason rumor mill. Kornheiser and Wilbon bring their signature banter, dissecting the sporting world’s biggest stories through a lens both skeptical and celebratory.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. FIFA Red Card Reversal & U.S. World Cup Prospects

• [00:53-05:02]
• U.S. national soccer team’s star Folarin Balogun initially suspended with a red card, but FIFA reversed it after President Donald Trump reportedly intervened.
• Debate: Is this decision “shady” and damaging for the sport, or justified if the call was wrong?
• Wilbon: Strongly objects to political interference. “It's just shady. It's just seedy, it's shameful behavior. It's fuckish behavior all the way around.” (01:38)
• Insists that this diminishes not just the U.S. but international competition.
• Tony: Argues getting the call right is paramount. “To me, the most important thing in all of this is to get the call right. This is the tradition of sports in America.” (02:56)
• Acknowledges the optics: “If I were Portugal, I would be steamed…because we are getting our best scorer back and maybe he can win the game.” (03:06)
• Discussion on tension between ‘sports and politics’: “Spare me from that. Because he's in the most corrupt organization…” (04:35)
• Both agree FIFA’s procedures and transparency are deeply lacking.

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2. World Cup Drama: Norway ousts Brazil, England’s Daring Altitude Win

• [05:04-08:43]
• Haaland’s heroics eliminate Brazil. England upset Mexico at high altitude, playing a man down for 40 minutes.
• Wilbon: Marvels at the magnitude of Cape Verde’s near-heroics vs Argentina, places Mexico-England result into historical context.
• Notes Brazil’s decline due to absence of magical midfield play: “What is Brazil going to do to get this back?” (06:43)
• Tony: Praises star performance, fan spectacle: “The World cup from a viewing standpoint, could not be better because the stars are scoring goals…” (07:14)
• Details England’s near-impossible challenge: altitude, hostile fans, history against them. Calls it “the hardest road game in any sport of all time.” (08:12)
• Both emphasize: “David versus Goliath. That’s what you want.” (08:34)

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3. Wimbledon Shock: Naomi Osaka’s Resurgence

• [08:43-11:52]
• Naomi Osaka stuns world #1 Irina Sabalenka, enters Wimbledon quarters for first time.
• Tony: Doubts Osaka’s chances (never advanced this far on grass), highlights unpredictability in women’s tennis: “You got 10 to 15 people who pop up and win something and then recede a little bit.” (09:10)
• Analyzes Sabalenka’s meltdown: “Banged herself in the head five to 10 times.” (10:09)
• Wilbon: Sees hope in Osaka. “If Osaka at her best, if she can get back to that point, she’s as good as Gauff has been.” (10:43)
• Both agree: The women’s draw is wide open compared to the predictable men’s field.

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4. LeBron to the Timberwolves? The NBA Rumor Mill Spins

• [13:43-16:18]
• Mailbag asks: “Do you think the Timberwolves have a real chance of landing LeBron?”
• Wilbon: Flatly dismisses the idea. “None whatsoever.” (13:47) Adds, “There’s not enough there to attract—not like Miami, not like Philadelphia, not like Golden State, not like even Denver. No, no, no, and no.” (14:00)
• Chides the franchise for chasing LaMelo Ball: “A guy who's never shot 43%, I don't think, in his career for a season.”
• Tony: Notes almost every team is dreaming. “I think 20 to 25 teams are deluding themselves into thinking they have a chance.” (14:48)
• Jokes about Minnesota’s sales pitch: “You can be the most popular person in Minnesota. You can be more popular than Mary Richards, who can turn the world on with his smile.” (15:23)
• Both agree—LeBron’s not headed to cold Minnesota; Tony quips: “You have to hit [the golf ball] on ice.” (16:16)

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5. Baseball’s “Perfecto” Controversy: Marlins Pull Pérez in Historic Bid

• [16:18-18:23]
• Marlins remove young pitcher Yuri Pérez after 7 perfect innings, sparking outrage.
• Tony: “No, they were not right to do this… In the history of Major League baseball, there are 24 perfect games. You gotta give this kid a shot at this.” (16:29)
• Wilbon: Describes the aftermath at family BBQ, baseball’s declining status and mystique.
• Tells a Pedro Martinez story: If pulled from a perfecto, “he smiled, but he wasn’t joking. And he aimed [the ball] at my head.” (18:08)
• Consensus: Modern baseball risks abandoning its most magical traditions for overcautious analytics.

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6. Quick Hits & Memorable Moments

• [20:04-24:05, “Happy Time People” and Big Finish]
• Slumping Padres: Machado’s career-worst batting average, team’s underachievement.
• Baseball oddity: 37 years ago, Paul O’Neil kicked a bobbled ball to save a run, which made for one of the most unusual plays.
• Quote, Tony: “O'Neal's baseball reference page says: bats left, throws left, kicks left.” (21:34)
• Golf heartbreak: Ben Carson Coles collapses on 18th for John Deere Classic, losing big prize.
• Summer League hopes: Cam Boozer and Darryn Peterson impress in debut games.
• Patrick Ewing joins Wizards’ staff—Wilbon sees upside for young core.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Wilbon on FIFA U.S. Intervention:
  “It's just shady. It's just seedy, it's shameful behavior. It's fuckish behavior all the way around.” (01:38)

• Tony on Reviewing Calls:
  “To me, the most important thing in all of this is to get the call right. This is the tradition of sports in America.” (02:56)

• Wilbon on England in Mexico:
  “England goes down in altitude in the heat and wins in Mexico where nobody ever wins—like twice in sixty years.” (05:45)

• Tony on ‘Goat’ Mindset and Minnesota:
  “If you want to be the goat. You go to Minnesota, where they've never won. You don't go to Golden State where they've won…” (15:49)

• Tony on Pulling Pérez:
  “He’s throwing a perfect game… Come on, you gotta give this kid a shot at this… The A’s fans were screaming, shame, shame, shame.” (16:29)

• Pedro Martinez anecdote (Wilbon):
  “Pedro, who was signing a ball for some kid nearby, looked, picked up the ball, put his hands on the seams, he smiled, but he wasn't joking. And he aimed it at my head.” (18:08)

• Tony’s Quip on O’Neil’s Legendary Kick:
  “…bats left, throws left, kicks left.” (21:34)

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Important Timestamps

• FIFA suspension/U.S. World Cup: 00:53–05:02
• World Cup upsets (Norway, England): 05:04–08:43
• Wimbledon: Osaka upsets Sabalenka: 08:43–11:52
• LeBron Timberwolves speculation: 13:43–16:18
• Marlins pull Pérez from perfect game: 16:18–18:23
• Quick hits: Baseball, golf, Ewing hire, Summer League: 20:04–24:05

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Summary & Overall Tone

The PTI duo balance sharp criticism and comedic banter:

• They rail against the politicization and commercialization of global sports, exposing hypocrisy and corruption.
• Wilbon is more emotive, often incredulous and passionate (“shameful,” “unwanted”), while Tony leans on dry humor and the value of fixing mistakes.
• Both bring a nostalgic view of sports traditions—even as they acknowledge change is inevitable.

A must-listen for fans who crave not only scores or highlights, but context, culture, and the endlessly debatable “why?” behind every headline.

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Transcript

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[Mike Wilbon]

But I'm Mike Wilbon. It's international Kissing Day. Tony, do you remember your first kiss?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tony Kornheiser. How could I forget that moment? We had Amelia Earhart.

[Mike Wilbon]

Oh, wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Do you think anybody watch? Well, watching us, watching us. They know who Amelia Earhart is. Nobody else watching this network knows who Amelia Earhart.

[Mike Wilbon]

We have the older demographic, don't we?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, we do. We don't have the old durr demographic. We got the old 15, 20%.

[Mike Wilbon]

No Amelia Earhart.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, England be Mexico. Naomi Osaka tops number one and the Timberwolves make a bid for LeBron. But we begin today with tonight's World cup game in Seattle. United States versus Belgium. Yesterday, the United States team got a great break when FIFA suspended the punishment of Folarin Balogun. Baligun had gotten a red card in the second half against Bosnia, which carries with it the automatic suspension for the next game. But FIFA suspended that suspension and Baligan will play tonight. President Donald Trump intervened with a phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino asking FIFA to review the red card. Wilbon, what does this decision mean for the United States team and the overall competition?

[Mike Wilbon]

I don't know. I would say for the overall competition, it's just shady. It's just shady. It's seedy, it's shameful behavior. It's fuckish behavior all the way around. Look, we know that bullying behavior is no stranger to this person and incident. We know that FIFA as an organization has been involved in all kinds of scandalous stuff. It's like the IOC.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Mike Wilbon]

So again, 360 degrees around, it is just shameful. So basically, what it says is nothing that happens on the field of play is sort of out of bounds to be just sort of addressed in. Whoever can get away with being the most thuggish individual in the moment. That's what it says to me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

To you.

[Mike Wilbon]

Now, will it help the United States? We don't know. I mean, suppose he scores the winning goal and he shouldn't have been out there. Suppose he scores two goals. Suppose he. And PKS puts the winning ball away. What does that mean? I mean, you look at it, Tony, it's just the whole thing is diminished to me, no matter what country it is and no matter who's president. Cuz he has said, we've talked to many presidents all the time. That behavior is bullying and probably thuggish too. So it's just. It's just like. It's just unwanted.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm going 180 away from this because to me, I've thought about this a lot. To me, the most important thing in all of this is to get the call right. This is the tradition of sports in America. Most recently, you review the call, you. You get the call, right? And maybe you have to change the punishment. So what is most important to me, did this action warrant, did it get up to the level that it warranted a red card from the people that I watch on television who are soccer people?

[Mike Wilbon]

No, no.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Most people seem to think it did.

[Mike Wilbon]

Overwhelming, right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is not, for example, like the case of Alyssa Thomas taking her fist and grinding it into Caitlin Clark's neck, for which she should have got five games and she only got one. So that's an important thing to me, that it may not go up to the level of red card. Then there's the other part of how this stuff is reviewed. Are the procedures to review it completely followed. And a lot of people say they aren't being followed. So I'm okay with Baligan playing in the game, and I'm even okay with the White House making a phone call. If I were Portugal, I would be steamed, totally steamed about this, and rightfully so. They are steamed about this, you know, because we are getting our best scorer back and maybe he can win the game. On the other hand, the head of FIFA understands this is a television show. He's gonna get 40 million people watching tonight. And if we beat belgium, he's getting 60 million on the next game.

[Mike Wilbon]

Wait, these two are separate things. I don't want outside intervention determining who can play.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think that we wouldn't stand for

[Mike Wilbon]

that in anything else. Outside intervention.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think everybody's got a right to make their position known. In other words, people say, for example, let's keep sports and politics separate.

[Mike Wilbon]

And they spare me it. Stop.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Spare me from that. Because he's in the most corrupt organization normally say.

[Mike Wilbon]

Many of the people normally say, keep politics out of my sports. I don't want to hear it. What are they saying today?

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, if it suits their needs

[Mike Wilbon]

and gets the player they want under their flag onto the field again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And not only that, I believe Cristiano Ronaldo was supposed to miss the first two games of the World Cup. It's not. In the lead up to the World cup, all rules were dropped.

[Mike Wilbon]

360 degrees. Shameful. Awesome.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But we disagree on a lot of the particulars of this. Let's stay with the World cup though. Yesterday's highlights were Norway getting two goals from Erling Haaland and knocking out former world power Brazil. And then England, against all odds, went into altitude in Mexico City and beat Mexico in a thrilling game where England played a man down for the last 40 minutes. Wilbon, you were totally geeked up for these games. Where do you want to start?

[Mike Wilbon]

Well, Tony, I'll start just briefly because it's been a few days now with Cape Verde's incredibly valiant loss to Argentina. I mean this is so beyond 1 versus 16 in something we're familiar with.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The smallest.

[Mike Wilbon]

This is David Goliath. This is not possible. That game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Population size of Baltimore.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes. And the way it played out, the way the game played out and the goal that made it two, two. Yes. My voice is a little raspy because I was screaming the entire match. And then look, Mexico, England. Last night Jude Bellingham was the best player on the field. I mean not only did he have two goals, he also prevented a goal. Straight up prevented. And so we get to that because England goes down in altitude in the heat and wins in Mexico where nobody ever wins like twice in 60 years. But Brazil. You said former power Brazil. Come on now. Brazil isn't won since 2002. Ancelotti A decorated coach. He better be decorated cuz he'd be starting a press conference with somebody asking have you resigned yet?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Like the Dutch coach.

[Mike Wilbon]

This guy has been great everywhere. Except Brazil is now former world power. And I, I, I, I'm reading all night. I started to text you but I knew you'd be asleep. 3:30 this morning. Why is Brazil.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I was getting up at 3:30.

[Mike Wilbon]

Why is Brazil not Brazil? And part of it has to do with midfield play and all the great midfielders. The magician like the wizard like midfielders they've had over the decades. They don't seem to have any more. And it's just like they're lacking. What is Brazil going to do to get this back and to. And then you do you lose. They are going to lose and say goodbye, happy trails to one of their all time great players.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, Neymar retiring.

[Mike Wilbon]

Neymar is going to be Done. And he was tearful, sobbing. Brazil. Brazil.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, I would like to talk a little bit about England, but first I just want to say this. The World cup from a viewing standpoint, could not be better because the stars are scoring goals, Mbappe and Messi and Ari Kane is scoring goals and Holland is scoring goals. So it looks great on television. Let me get to England. They're in an impossible situation. They're playing at 7,500ft altitude. It's like Aspen, right? It's all the way up as high as you can go. They're playing in that, so you know that they're at a complete disc. Three days to acclimate is ridiculous. You're at complete disadvantage in terms of respiratory health.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Then the Mexican fans surround the hotel where the English team is. They light up fireworks and serenade all night long so they don't get any sleep. And then they're playing in a stadium where Mexico has played 89 games and lost. How many? Two. Two and none in the World Cup. I would say, Mike.

[Mike Wilbon]

And then 10 versus. Oh, yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And then one short man. I would say, Mike, that that is the hardest road game in any sport of all time.

[Mike Wilbon]

Of all time in these. And they win.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And their two best players, Bellingham and Harry Kane, were great. How about Harry Kane's week? He gets the two late goals against Congo. That saves that game. And he gets a goal. And it's completely impossible from a viewing standpoint, Tony.

[Mike Wilbon]

It is, yeah. Stars being stars. David versus Goliath.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's what you want.

[Mike Wilbon]

You're still having big games?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Don't surprise me. Get the heavy duty guys out there scoring goals.

[Mike Wilbon]

They're out there. Let's move to Wimbledon, where Naomi Osaka favors.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, she's your favorite.

[Mike Wilbon]

Upset top seed in world number one, Irina Sabalenka in straight sets. It's Osaka's first time into the quarters of Wimbledon. First time. Also going out over the weekend were second seeded Elena Rybakina and defending champ IGA Witek. So, Tony, could you see Osaka winning this whole thing?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, so let's review this again. Review her history at Wimbledon. She has won two US Opens. She has won two Australian Opens. She never got to the fourth round at Wimbledon before. This is the furthest she has ever been. This is not her best surface, obviously, by any means. And if you want her to win, Mike, she's got to win three more matches on grass. So I sort of think that that's a long shot. But it needs to be said that the women's Game like this is not the men's game where you got Alcaraz and Sinner. The women's game, you got 10 to 15 people who pop up and win something and then recede a little bit. Six in a row.

[Mike Wilbon]

Six different winners in a row.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Six in a row. Which opens it up, I think, to everybody. I watched a lot of this match. Don't ask me why, but I did. I would say that Sabalenka has been the most consistent of the highly ranked women over the last few years. The most consistent. There was a point she was hitting a lot of balls into the net. There was a point where she took her own racket, banged herself in the head five to 10 times.

[Mike Wilbon]

I thought she was gonna draw blood

[Tony Kornheiser]

with her own racket because this is straight sets and it's not supposed to happen.

[Mike Wilbon]

No, Tony, it's not. Except we're talking about Naomi Osaka, who does have four to her name, but not there. Okay? Not there. And it's been a while. Coming back. It's been. Yep. I don't even want to use the word tedious. It's just, you know, bit by bit, she has come back and gotten better. She could lose to Makova, better known

[Tony Kornheiser]

for fashion than tennis in late years.

[Mike Wilbon]

Late years, like what? Tennis. Coming back a couple years, she could lose to Mova, who I think is seated 10th, but she could also beat her.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yep.

[Mike Wilbon]

You mentioned the nature of women's tennis right now, and it's if. If Osaka can continue to serve as she did against South America, she played great. She's going to have an advantage there. And, Tony, I'm looking at Coco Golf, though. Coke golf is. Look, she has got the goods to win any tournament anytime. We know that. But I'm just saying, if Osaka. Osaka at her best, if she can get back to that point, she's as good as Goff has been.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is. Remember in the French Open, every top seed went out by the first Saturday. Well, this is looking like that at Wimbledon, that people are just going out. Jessica Pegula, I think, is the highest seed left.

[Mike Wilbon]

Pegula could win.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, she could, except she's only been to one final in a major and she didn't win that. I mean, I just. I just. Again, the men's draw, you know, who's going to be in the semis. And in the women's draw in the

[Mike Wilbon]

last few years, most bankable stars, Vin Sabalenka.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

And now done.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, it was amazing to me. I mean, banging her eye, that was.

[Mike Wilbon]

But you know what? Look, you and I both will admit to some sort of fascination with her.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Mike Wilbon]

Because she's so mercurial.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Mike Wilbon]

And then after the matches, she sits there and she's calm and she's fascinating to listen to.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, no, I agree with that. Agree with. But you know, let's take a break. Coming up, could LeBron actually join the Timberwolf? No. Really, I'm going to say something different

[Mike Wilbon]

and where the Marlins right to pull Yuri Perez while he's pitching a perfecto. No, no, I'm going to go back and talk about a guy who I know and what he would have done if he was pulled.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

It is time to pull your emails out of the drain trap. I'll get the first one and read it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Mail time Ready.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Do you think the Timberwolves have a real chance of landing LeBron?

[Mike Wilbon]

None whatsoever.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, that wouldn't be a real chance.

[Mike Wilbon]

See See LeBron James not like people who grew up on either coast and they think they know what the weather in Minnesota is. LeBron James grew up in Cleveland where it's cold.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Not as cold as Minnesota.

[Mike Wilbon]

Not nearly as cold as Minnesota. And LeBron knows this. Here's what else LeBron knows. They just got rid of Nas Reed. And I suspect that LeBron James, in his 20 years in the league, in his time against Nas Reed, really got some respect for Nas Reid. Not necessarily did they play all that off in one another against one another. But Nasrid, he's gone because Minnesota said, oh, no, let's go have us some lamelo ball. Let's go have us a guy who's never shot 43%, I don't think, in his career for a season. So you got LaMelo Ball. You got Anthony Edwards. Great. You want to play with Anthony Edwards, and you got Rudy Gobert at this stage of his life. But, no, there's not enough there to attract not. Not like Miami, not like Philadelphia, not like Golden State, not like even Denver. No, no, no, and no.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, okay. I think 20 to 25 teams are deluding themselves into thinking they have a chance.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes, we agree.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Like, the Wizards are probably going to make a call, and they're probably going to say something like, I got Trey Young, I got Anthony Davis, I got Banta, AJ Dabanza, and I just got deandre Ayton. You want to come win with us? Here's what Minnesota's pitch is going to be. You can win the first NBA title this franchise has ever won. You can play with LaMelo Ball. You can play with Anthony Edwards. You can stop the citywide drought that started after 1991.

[Mike Wilbon]

Ken Herbert with the Twins, Herbie Puckett.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You can be the most popular person in Minnesota. You can be more popular than Mary Richards, who can turn the world on with his smile. LeBron, LeBron.

[Mike Wilbon]

LeBron comes and throws a tam in the air.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I will go to the. Isn't it a great flyer that they're taking. They are. They're taking a flyer. It's wonderful.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm sure right now my friend Jimmy Jam is hating me and loving you for suggesting this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I just think. I think it's. Here's what you don't want to do if you want to be the goat.

[Mike Wilbon]

What?

[Tony Kornheiser]

You go to Minnesota, where they've never won. You don't go to Golden State where they've won, or Philadelphia, where they won't.

[Mike Wilbon]

Move to the next topic with two words. Next letter. Never won.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, okay.

[Mike Wilbon]

Never won.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Mike Wilbon]

There's a reason.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right.

[Mike Wilbon]

That's the appeal for them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's the appeal.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm Midwestern brethren, LeBron.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But you make a good point. It's cold.

[Mike Wilbon]

And all LeBron wants to do now, according to his own social media post, is hit the golf ball.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. We have to hit it on ice.

[Mike Wilbon]

Hazel team for about three weeks a year. Yeah, that's about right. That's the season Perfecto spoiled. Were the Marlins right to pull Yuri Perez after seven perfect innings?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me be relatively brief. I don't want to mimic what you're gonna say, but no, they were not right to do this. Okay, I understand he's a kid. I understand he's coming off an injury, but it's a leg injury. He's not throwing a no hitter. He's throwing a perfect game. In the history of Major League baseball, there are 24 perfect games. That's out of 217,000 regular season games. 24. Come on, you gotta give this kid a shot at this. He's thrown 92 pitches. He just got out of the seventh inning throwing nine pitches and getting three outs. The A's fans were screaming, shame, shame, shame.

[Mike Wilbon]

That's where I'll start. So I spent the 4th of July at a family barbecue, Don's house, in suburban Chicago.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Good.

[Mike Wilbon]

And I was defending or attempting to defend baseball against the younger members of family and crew, all with soccer, all on the side of soccer, saying, including my own son, get this out of here. Okay. And then you have something like this, which is shameful, but this is where baseball is. This is what it is. It's shameful. It has done away with perhaps the most attractive element and position in the game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

A horse. A starting pitcher. Horse. Yeah. Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

Okay. I'm going to take you to one guy, his testimony. Because, you know, I talked to Pedro Martinez recently and we talked about this and I said to him, what would happen if somebody came to take you out, take the ball from you on the mound in a perfect game on no hitter. And Pedro, who was signing a ball for some kid nearby, looked, picked up the ball, put his hands on the seams, he smiled, but he wasn't joking. And he aimed it at my head.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

And I said, thank God you feel that way. He goes, of course I feel this way. A zipper moment would happen if they tried to take the ball from Pedro. And you don't blame Pedro. No, we agree with that fully.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's a awful. It's a perfecto.

[Mike Wilbon]

Shameful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's enough email. Let's take one last break. Still to come, the struggling Yankees start a big series tonight.

[Mike Wilbon]

Two of the top picks in the NBA face each other tonight in summer league.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's bad enough when you take the ball out of a no hitter situation, but a perfect, you can't do it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Perfect game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You can't do it. No, you can't do it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Baseball's shameful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, it is that action. That, that. And I know you'll blame it on analytics, but I don't even see the analytics. You only throw 90%. No.

[Mike Wilbon]

There's somebody in the office call.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy time people. Happy 34th birthday. Manny Machado, the Padres longtime third baseman has fine power numbers, 18 home runs, 51 RBI, but his batting average is the worst of his career at.189. He's a seven time all star, a three time silver slugger, a two time gold glove. But in a sense, Machado's results this year mirror his teams. The Padres have expensive star talent in players like Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. But the Padres record is 4, 44 and 45. They've lost eight out of nine. They're 14 games behind the Dodgers in the NL west, four games out of a wild card. Wilbur, you love the Padres. What is going there?

[Mike Wilbon]

Tony Machado's.189 is bad enough, Cronenwerth hitting.168. The Padres are dead last in OPS in all of baseball and next to last in slugging. They got no bats in their hands when they walk up there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy anniversary Paul O' Neal around the state 37 years ago while playing right field for Cincinnati, O' Neal stopped a game winning run from scoring with likely the best kick in the history of baseball with Steve Jeltz of the Phillies on second. In the bottom of the 10th, Lenny Dykstra knocked a base hit into right. O' Neal hoped to gather the ball and throw it home, but he bobbled it and he kicked it towards the infield in frustration. Surprisingly, the kickball made its way quickly enough to first baseman Todd Benzinger to momentarily save the game. Though the Phillies would soon score on a pass ball, and in its honor, o' Neal's baseball reference page says, bats left, throws left, kicks left.

[Mike Wilbon]

Should it have been some sort of rule that says that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Can't do it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Action stops there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Can't do it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Each runner gets an extra base if

[Tony Kornheiser]

somebody kicks the ball.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes. Intentionally. That was intentional.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know why there's no rule? Cause nobody ever does that. Never done it. Nobody ever does it. Happy trails to winning the John Deere Classic for Ben Carson. Coles stood on the 18th tee of the John Deere yesterday, needing a birdie to win or a par to push Chris Goddard up to a playoff. It started well with a good drive, but Coles bounces approach off the rocks and into the water. Ended up with a double bogey. I watched this. I felt terrible for him. He was so rattled that he missed a one and a half foot putt. That 18th hole cost him between 500,000 and a million dollars. Meanwhile, got her up to his 62 out there to win with his brother on the bag.

[Mike Wilbon]

I tried to play with my brother and our sons at Olympia.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How'd it work out?

[Mike Wilbon]

We got washed off the course on a day with violent storms, trees down.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But was it over 100 like it was here for the last four days? One omission. Spain beat Portugal. One nothing.

[Mike Wilbon]

One nil. Big, big result. I mean, Spain can win the whole thing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Don't you think? Spain and France look like the best two teams at the moment.

[Mike Wilbon]

Exciting, if we got to that point.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right, but this was for the. For bragging rights in the Iberian Peninsula. Showing my geography. Let's go to the big fittings. Let's do it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Patrick Ewing has a second with the Wizards.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Does that make sense to you?

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes, it does. And you got that young core of people there. And Anthony Davis, if he plays, they can use what Patrick Ewing's got. Canada's summer Macintosh broke the world record in the 200 meter butterfly. You think this is significant?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I do. I mean, that record was there for about 17 years. That's a long time. All we ever talk about is Katie Ledecky. So this is a new. A new name. Beyond a straight to the heat that went official today. Your thoughts?

[Mike Wilbon]

I don't know quite what to think, but if this helps attract LeBron in a way I don't think will help in Minnesota, filling out that roster, playing

[Tony Kornheiser]

with some studs, you don't think LaMelo Ball going to Minnesota.

[Mike Wilbon]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yankees Rays open a four game set to night in Tampa. Big deal.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Aren't they two of the only teams in the league with winning records like this? The Yankees coming in bad shape. Have they lost 9 out of 10? The Aaron Judge factor is working its way. Last one cam boozer and Darren Peterson face each other in the Salt Lake City Summer League tonight. You intrigue.

[Mike Wilbon]

Cam Boozle was really, really, really good in his debut. Peterson was great in his debut and this is what we all expect at the top of that draft. That's half those top four that people are saying, okay, give me one of them and I can take my friend away.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Talk about anybody's dad in the no, no, we're out of time. We'll try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow knuckleheads. Hope you had a lot of barbecue in your stuff like me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now honestly, it was over 100 degrees here Thursday, Friday, Saturday and get out of town. Like 90 feels nice.

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