Wire Taps: Bryce Harper calls Mike Trout best in MLB; Nationals & Orioles MASN dispute could end in fall; More SCOTUS news...

Today in Wire Taps: two pieces about the Supreme Court.

Happy All-Star Break:

Lerner on All-Star Game week: "It worked out beautifully" (MASN)
Mark Lerner thought that everything worked out from beginning to end -- especially Bryce Harper's performance in the Derby.

Max Scherzer, Bryce Harper relish ASG in DC (MLB)
Max Scherzer compared the atmosphere to the playoffs -- if he had to face Mike Trout -- while Harper got to excite the masses the night before.

Juan Posto (Sweetspot Network - Nationals Baseball)
Juan Soto's rolling average has gone down a little bit, but his OBP is up, and all the other numbers lead to the same conclusion: he's not a fluke, and is above and beyond where he should be for a nineteen-year-old in the majors. In other words, this is his floor.

‘That’s gone’: Mic’d up Bryce Harper had a great view of Mike Trout’s All-Star Game home run (WaPo)
Harper also agreed with FOX Sports' assessment: that Mike Trout is the best player in baseball.

Nationals need surge to meet expectations (MLB)
Despite a rough start, the Nats are still buyers, until something goes catastrophically wrong -- though we'll see how much Mike Rizzo will put on the table.

Cal Ripken Jr.: MLB should supplement the Home Run Derby with a skills challenge (WaPo)
Cal Ripken thinks that the Home Run Derby, but relay-throwing, throw accuracy, and other activities may add more fun.

Harper homer blitz bet backfires for Nationals (AFP)
This isn't anything that hasn't been covered, but the fricking international press covered this.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh takes in MLB All-Star Game (USA Today)
Today, in Brett Kavanaugh news that we've somehow been roped into covering.

Nats-Orioles TV fees dispute likely to be reheard this fall (AP/FOX SPORTS)
The decision will go to the Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee, which includes the owners of the Brewers, Mariners, and Blue Jays.

Opinion | The Real Reason to Oppose Brett Kavanaugh (New York Times)
Apparently, John Roberts shouldn't be too eager about adding Kavanaugh to the bench because he supports an extremely dysfunctional franchise (the Nats), which clearly suggests that his judgement is clouded.

Did Bryce Harper Cheat in the Home Run Derby? | FanGraphs Baseball
The actual rules are ambiguous, but there's no penalty for breaking them -- and even if Harper did break them (which he didn't, this is stupid), it wouldn't disqualify him.