Another Major League Baseball All-Star Game, a.k.a. “The Mid-Summer Classic,” is now in the books.

The American League rebounded from last year’s loss to the National League much in the same way the NL did last year — with a gamewinning home run by a least-likely All-Star to get the win in last week’s game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas — the home of the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran hit a game-winning two-run homer in the fifth inning to propel the AL to a 5-3 win as well as garnering him the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.

If you recall in last year’s All-Star Game in Seattle, Colorado’s Elias Diaz hit a two-run game-winning homer in the eighth inning to rally the NL to a 3-2 win and earn the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.

Not to be overlooked was Kansas City Royals’ player Bobby Witt Jr.’s performance in the Home Run Derby the night before, in which he finished second to Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

I got to watch the game with my 97-year-old mom in Enid as I went there for my eye doctor visit last Wednesday morning. For the record, my eyes are in great shape (at least so far), but I will have some new glasses and frames in a short while.

I thought it was neat how they had a rodeo/cowboy-type theme with ropers twirling their ropes and riding around on horseback. It seemed very appropriate for me, and likely you in the area, the 52nd annual Garrison Creek Riders Rodeo took place last weekend.

••• Congratulations to four individuals who were a part of the Class of 2024 to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame over the weekend — former players Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton along with manager Jim Leyland.

Beltre spent most of his years with the Texas Rangers, but also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox. He was a part of the pre-game festivities at last week’s All-Star Game,’ Mauer spent all 15 years with the Minnesota Twins. He started out as a catcher, then went to first base after catching took its toll on his legs. He also was a designated hitter for the Twins.

Like Mauer, Helton spent his entire career with the same team, the Colorado Rockies, with whom he played first base.

Leyland, who was the third-base coach for Tony LaRussa’s Chicago White Sox, managed the Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1996, which featured Barry Bonds for the latter years), the Florida Marlins (1997-98, in which the Marlins won the 1997 World Series 4 games to 3 over the Cleveland Indians thanks to Edgar Renteria’s 11th-inning, walkoff single), the Colorado Rockies (1999) and the Detroit Tigers (2006-13, the franchise with which he spent his first 18 years as a Major League Baseball player). Leyland guided the Tigers to the 2006 World Series, but they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. He also guided the Tigers to the 2012 World Series, in which they were swept by the San Francisco Giants, who won Game 4 when Giants relief pitcher Sergio Romo struck out soon-to-be Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera looking.

It’s always a special day in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Hall of Fame Induction Day. Congrats once again to the Class of 2024.

••• The weekend of July 13-14, we had two more sports figures pass.

National Football League wide receiver Jacoby Jones, who played with the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens — and was on the Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII championship team and scored on an 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl that pitted coaching brothers against each other — John Harbaugh of the Ravens against Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers. It also was the Super Bowl that had the 30-minute or so delay in the fourth quarter due to a technical difficulty at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

There was no cause of Jones’ death listed other than he passed in his sleep July 14 at the age of 40.

The other key sports figure, but easily could be thought of as more of an entertainer, to pass last weekend was sports guru Richard Simmons, who passed away July 13 at age 76 — just days after his birthday.

Currently, the cause of Simmons’ death is still being investigated by the medical examiner in Los Angeles, but he was found dead in his L.A. home July 13.

To his credit, Simmons made working out and fitness something fun but good for your health at the same time.

Then on July 16, the late Kobe Bryant’s father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant passed from suffering a massive stroke at age 69.

Bryant, who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1975, played with three National Basketball Association franchises — the Philadelphia 76ers, the San Diego Clippers (before the franchise moved to L.A.) and the Houston Rockets — but had to go through the tragedy of losing his son and his granddaughter Gianna lose their lives in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, Calif., in January 2020.

It seems like these last two months have been hard on the sports world with all the sports figures passing, including Hall of Famers Bill Walton, Larry Allen, Jerry West, Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda and former Oklahoma Sooners wrestling coach Stan Abel.

May you all rest in peace.

••• Seeley is the sports editor of The Eastern Times-Register. He can be reached by telephone at (918) 775-4433, Ext. 139 or by e-mail at davids@cookson. news.