CLEVELAND -- The leadoff hitter for the National League All-Stars is reigning MVP Christian Yelich, who has 31 home runs at the break. The No. 9 hitter will be 21-year-old Ronald Acuna Jr., who has matched his age already with 21 first-half home runs. The low power man in the NL starting nine is catcher Willson Contreras, with a mere 18 home runs.

That means all nine starters are on pace to hit 30-plus home runs. Given the record barrage of home runs across the sport in 2019, it's not a big surprise that the NL lineup may be the most power-packed in All-Star history.

"It means there's a lot of talent in the game right now," Yelich said Monday. "I saw they had Acuna hitting ninth. I don't know how many times he's ever hit ninth in his life, but when you have a player of that caliber hitting ninth, it speaks to the depth of talent."

It's also a youthful group of sluggers, none of them even 30 years old yet. The average age of the NL starters is the youngest in All-Star history. "I guess we're doing something good," Cubs shortstop Javier Baez, the No. 2 hitter in Dave Roberts' lineup with 22 home runs, said with a laugh. "It's crazy how you see all this young talent. It's great that the kids are learning so fast."

It's also crazy that Baez, still just 26 years but already in his sixth major league season, refers to the next generation of stars like Acuna as kids.

But this is the game in 2019: home runs and strikeouts and young power hitters. Batting average? Nobody cares about batting average, certainly not like your grandfather cared about batting average.

"If I wanted to hit .300, I'd hit .300," Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. "It's an OPS game, though. It's about driving the baseball and getting on base, walks and extra-base hits. If it turned into an average game, I'd get the ball out of the air and hit line drives and hit .330.

"All the hitters care about now is OPS. We don't care about batting average. Some guys do, I guess. Batting average is an old stat that doesn't matter. It's OPS, runs created, WAR. Look at Mike Trout's numbers. There are guys that hit .340. Mike Trout is hitting, what, .300 on the dot? I'd rather have Mike Trout's numbers with all the walks and the damage than the guy who hits .340 [with a bunch of singles]. It's an OPS game."

Indeed, Bregman hits the All-Star break with a .265 batting average but ranks third in the American League in OPS and third in on-base percentage. He's not hitting close to .300, but he's been one of the best run producers in the league. That's what matters.

While Yelich says he tries not to look at his stat line during the season, he also cited OPS as a simple measure of how's he producing. "Everyone talks about that now," he said. "That's a big one. To score runs, you gotta get on base and you have to slug, and that's pretty much OPS in a nutshell."

Of course, many fans cry about the lack of singles and the rise in strikeouts. Many still romanticize the .300 hitter, Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs slapping singles to the opposite field and hitting .350. During the steroid era, the MLB-wide batting average peaked at .271 in 1999 -- when 55 qualifiers hit .300, the most in a season since the pitching mound was lowered in 1999. Still, the .300 hitter is hardly dead, even with pitchers throwing harder than ever. Twenty-five players hit the break hitting .300, with Jeff McNeil of the Mets leading the majors with a .349 average. That's on par with the number of .300 hitters across the majors in recent seasons, although admittedly down from what we saw 20 years ago:

2015-2019: 22.2
2010-2014: 23.2
2005-2009: 37.4
2000-2004: 42.0
1995-1999: 46.0
1990-1994: 31.2

Also, hitting is hard! Heck, just five years ago, after offense dropped to its lowest levels in more than two decades in 2014, the big story was that nobody could hit. The hitters -- yes, with help from the juiced baseball -- have gained their revenge. They got better.

"I think you just learn," said Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. "Fastballs are so hard and [pitchers] are spinning the ball. You learn that you don't have to do too much to make things happen. I think that's helped me as a baseball player, because you think if someone's throwing hard you have to swing even harder, and I learned just to take a nice smooth swing and put the barrel on the ball and the ball's going to fly. I learned that, and I think these young guys have learned that pretty quickly and they know how to do it, and that's why a lot of homers are happening."

Plus, hitting .300 isn't easy. "It's power hitting and power pitching," said Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, the old man in the NL starting lineup at 29 years old. "That's what it is now. Players are combating high heaters by swinging up and hitting homers. I think the game changes every few years. Three years from now we'll be talking about how the game is a little different again."

Home runs may rule the day, and players know it's easier to score one run with one big swing then three singles, but that doesn't mean they're not impressed by a .300 hitter. Asked if it's more difficult these days to hit .330 or to hit 35 home runs, Freeman laughed. "I think hitting .300 is the hardest thing. You can hit homers. That's where we're at. I have Josh Donaldson on my team, and he asked if you'd rather hit .260 with 50 home runs or .300 with 20 home runs. I always say .300 with 20, but that's just me. I like that '3' in front of the batting average."

It's also not easy to just go up there and hit a ground ball in the hole for a base hit -- no matter what fans may think.

"If you do that, you're not going to have a great approach," Freeman said. "You're just going to lunge at everything just to put it into play. There are certain hitters like Tony Gwynn who can do that, but in today's game I'd say it's a little different, you just have to try to grind out an at-bat. Hitting a round ball with a round bat is the hardest thing to do, and asking yourself to place it somewhere, you just can't really do that. Even bunting the ball is really, really hard."

Mookie Betts, who hit .346 to win the AL batting title last season and is at .272 this season, said hitting .340 is definitely harder than hitting 40 home runs -- although not necessarily more impressive. "The pitchers are a lot better, but some guys have managed to hit a lot of home runs because they found something that worked for them. It's always a cat and mouse game, but .340 is pretty impressive, and so is 30 home runs at the All-Star break."

Maybe we need a pitcher's perspective on this. Gerrit Cole -- after a long pause to think through his answer -- started to say hitting .340, but then interrupted himself and said, "Forty home runs is a lot, though. Forty home runs. I could be wrong, though. I like Jose [Altuve]. I like that idea of spraying the ball around. I watch a lot of baseball for a living, about 130 games a year, and as much I love to see a home run, I love to see a double in the gap and then a guy go run after the ball, so you have a great defensive play and a great swing and great hit. That would be my preference, but 40 home runs is a lot of home runs."

Cody Bellinger is one hitter who can actually somewhat relate to this question because he's hitting .336 with 31 home runs. "I always felt like I could be an average guy, not to say I'm going to hit .340. It's just nice to see results. I don't which is harder. They're both pretty special."

Asked about hitting 40 home runs or .340, Arenado laughed. "I've hit 40 home runs before. I would love to hit .340; that would be so sweet," he said with smile. "But 40 homers looks pretty cool on a baseball card. I don't know, I'd probably say .340. Sleep way better at night knowing that you're getting hits all the time."

But what about, say, an Aaron Judge hitting 50 home runs or Gwynn hitting .370? Which is more impressive? "Tony Gwynn hitting .370, for sure," Bellinger said.

Bregman, not surprisingly, had a different answer to that question: "Look at the OPS."

Former Wales hooker Emyr Phillips has joined the Scarlets as a development skills coach.

Injury forced Phillips to retire from playing in 2018 after more than 150 Scarlets appearances across 10 seasons and winning three caps for Wales.

Phillips will continue in his role as head coach of Welsh Premiership side Carmarthen Quins.

He replaces Dai Flanagan, who has been promoted to the Scarlets' senior set-up.

Editor’s Note: This story was provided courtesy of Robin Miller and was originally published by Racer.com.

Auto racing cultivates a lot of feel-good stories and unlikely successes, but none may be more inspiring than Jeff Dickerson’s.

The Indianapolis native has gone from changing gears on Tyce Carlson’s midget to spotting for Jeff Gordon to representing Kyle Busch to working for Chip Ganassi… to victory lane last Sunday at Daytona as a winning NASCAR car owner.

Rookie Justin Haley was declared the winner of the Coke Zero 400 when rain brought out the red flag, and decided the outcome with Haley out in front in Dickerson’s Spire Motorsports Chevy.

“It’s a great story, and I’m happy for Jeff,” said Ganassi, who has had a working relationship for years with Dickerson involving drivers and sponsors. “I’m disappointed we didn’t win, but I’m glad he did, so he kept it in the family, so to speak.”

As a 17-year-old at North Central High School back in 1993, Dickerson was infatuated with racing but had no connections. So he started writing letters to Carlson, a North Central grad six years older who was running USAC midgets and sprints at the time.

“So I invited him to go to Salem with us,” recalls Carlson, a two-time Indy 500 starter who runs a real estate business today. “We came home, I dropped him off and two hours later he called and asked if he could come stay with me for a while. His dad had died when he was real young, and his mom had basically kicked him out of his house because he wanted to be a racer.

“I was 23 and living with my wife-to-be (Christy) at the time in an apartment, but I said, sure come on up. He showed up with two pillowcases full of clothes and stayed for four years.”

During that time, Dickerson learned how to set up a chassis, work on engines and whatever else needed to be done. But he made friends as fast as he picked up the nuances of racing, and after working with ace fabricator Danny Drinan, he went back with Carlson to be the team manager/spotter of Hubbard/Imke in the Indy Racing League.

It was also during this time that Carlson bought his friend a midget and he began racing at the 16th Street Speedway.

But after helping Robbie Buhl’s IRL team, Jeff got a call from Cary Agajanian that changed his career path. Aggie represented a lot of drivers at that time and saw how connected Dickerson was with all the young stars in USAC, so he hired him. When the son of the longtime Indy 500 car owner decided he was done with being an agent, his protégé formed Spire and signed Busch as one of his first clients in 2003.

Since then, Dickerson has represented Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse, Ross Chastain, Landon Cassill and the late Jason Leffler. But despite having no formal training in that area or marketing, he had a gift for putting deals together, and that impressed Ganassi.

“Jeff is a go-getter and a hard-working guy with a good knowledge of this sport from grass roots all the way to the top,” said Ganassi. “He can talk to anybody and knows how things get done.”

Adds Carlson: “Everything he did was self-made and because of his personality and ability to put deals together. People trust him.”

Last year he and partner T.J. Puchyr borrowed $6 million to buy a NASCAR charter with the goal of growing Spire into a full-time Cup Series effort. Dickerson wasn’t at Daytona to celebrate, but Carlson texted him afterward.

“He’s like my little brother and I just knew he was going to go somewhere in racing because of his drive and his smarts,” said Carlson. “This doesn’t surprise me. It’s only the beginning.”

LOUDON, N.H. – Mahindra ROXOR has been named the title sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race scheduled for July 20 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“We’re pleased to welcome Mahindra ROXOR to our July race weekend,” said David McGrath, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “Just like Mahindra ROXOR vehicles, racing in New England is ‘built for the long haul,’ as the ROXOR 200 will mark the 34th NASCAR Xfinity Series race here at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.”

Mahindra has been building vehicles such as tractors, automobiles, airplanes, motorcycles and more for more than 70 years, building 600,000 automotive vehicles annually, all designed to complement many different channels of specialized businesses including construction, community work, ranching, search and rescue and, of course, hardcore recreation.

“We are excited to partner with New Hampshire Motor Speedway as a title sponsor,” stated Richard Ansell, vice president of marketing of Mahindra ROXOR. “The audience aligns well with our marketing strategy for ROXOR and the NHMS program is a perfect extension to our overall racing program.”

Fans can check out the latest ROXOR models in action at The Flat Track during the Friday Night Dirt Duels presented by New England Racing Fuel as they are used to prep the new 0.25-mile dirt track in between racing action. They’ll also be on display in the Fan Zone, located in the S2 lot, throughout race weekend in a 3,000-square-foot ROXOR display.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — International Speedway Corp. issued a preliminary proxy statement in regard to taking the public company private.

They are asking the shareholders to vote on and approve an agreement and plan of merger with NASCAR Holdings, Inc.  This is an important step of the “going-private” transaction.

In November 2018, Jim France presented the Board of Directors a proposal, where-as the France Family Group would acquire the company by purchasing shares they did not already own.

The transaction value was $1.280 billion based on an acquisition price of $45 per share with approximately 28.475 million shares outstanding.

A Special Committee of Directors was formed to review, evaluate and negotiate on behalf of the shareholders with respect to the offer. Legal and financial advisors were retained to assist in the evaluation and due diligence process.

The initial offer to acquire was at $42 per share.  The Special Committee initially responded with a counter-offer of $54 per share. Over the next several months, meetings and presentations were held.  Negotiations went back and forth and both parties adjusted their expectations. In April 2019, they agreed that $45 per share would be in the best interest of shareholders and to pursue toward a definitive merger agreement.

During the early part of the season, the bankruptcy filing of DC Solar had a material impact on the industry. According to filings, NASCAR, International Speedway Corp. and its tracks were owed about $4 million. In addition, Chip Ganassi Racing was on the hold for $4.3 million and shut down its NASCAR Xfinity Series team as a result.

A class action lawsuit contesting the merger was brought by the Fireman’s Retirement System of St. Louis. They alleged that the initial proposal was too low and unfair to minority shareholders. It also noted conflicts of interest and lack of independence between the France Family, NASCAR and ISC.

After the offer price was raised several times, they eventually met with representatives and determined not to challenge the fairness of the transaction price.

Other interesting deal highlights included: NASCAR will purchase the shares of Brian France and potential deal termination fees of $117 million to NASCAR and $78 million to International Speedway Corp.

Financing for the deal was provided by Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and PNC Bank. The credit facility will total $1.650 billion consisting a term loan and revolver.

In late May 2019, the Special Committed determined that the $45 per share offer was fair and reasonable and in the best interest of the company and shareholders. Each shareholder will receive cash for their shares owned.

Several factors were cited in their recommendation, including the ongoing business pressures facing the business and industry, decreasing attendance, uncertainty over the broadcast contract negotiations, sanction agreement renewals and expiration of the motorsports tax provision.

The International Speedway Corp. Board of Directors approved and executed the merger agreement.  The next step was to issue a proxy statement and submit the transaction for approval by the shareholders of the company.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2019 and is subject to the usual customary closing conditions.