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SAN DIEGO -- Kris Bryant probably wont get another first-pitch fastball from White Sox ace Chris Sale when the Chicago Cubs slugger bats against the left-hander during the City Series in a couple of weeks.Back in his college town, Bryant showed exactly what he can do with that pitch -- even against a crosstown rival who has owned him.Bryant hit an estimated 410-foot homer on the fourth pitch of the 87th All-Star Game, providing the biggest highlight of a mediocre night for the NL in a 4-2 loss.I just wanted to get a hit, Bryant said. To have my first hit be a home run is special.The NL lost for the fourth consecutive year, which means the NL Central-leading Cubs wont get home-field advantage if they make the World Series, where they hope to end their 108-year championship drought this fall.But it wasnt the fault of Bryant, whose first All-Star hit was an appropriate blast by the NLs 24-year-old leader in homers.Bryant got a warm homecoming in San Diego, where the Las Vegas native spent three years slugging for the University of San Diego Toreros before the Cubs made him the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft.Being here in front of whats my second home -- I know a lot of people here -- it really felt special, Bryant said. This will be a couple of days that Ill remember for a long time.Homering against Sale was particularly huge for Bryant, who had been 0 for 6 against the White Soxs star, striking out every single time.I guess this one doesnt count toward career statistics, Bryant said with a grin. Im still 0 for 6 with six strikeouts against Chris Sale. Hes one of the toughest pitchers Ive seen. Hes one of those guys you have to attack, because he has strikeout stuff.Bryant became the eighth Cubs player to homer in the All-Star Game, and the youngest since Augie Galan in 1936. Hes only the second player from a Chicago team to homer against a pitcher from the other Chicago team, joining Magglio Ordonez against the Cubs Jon Lieber in 2001.I like playing here, Bryant said of Petco Park. Its one of my favorite places to play. I see the ball really well here. Maybe its all the sun in San Diego.Bryant added some more color to the All-Star Game in a more literal fashion as well: He changed his cleats three times in four innings, showing off a different shade of shoe each time. He did it for Adidas, which sold each eye-catching shoe online while Bryant was wearing them.First baseman Anthony Rizzo also had a hit for the Cubs, who sent seven players to the midsummer classic. Bryant and Rizzo are on the vanguard of the next generation of NL stars, a fact not lost on their teammates.Youre going to be looking at one of the best hitters in the game, Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist said of Bryant. I mean, he already is. But the consistency is what you have to see over time to become a legend like Big Papi. A guy like K.B., Rizz, theyre just beginning that. Theyve got a lot of time to be consistent to get to that level, but theyre playing at that level right now. Seeing their mindsets, seeing the way they handle the stage, it makes me think, `How could they not? Cheap Nike Air Max China Wholesale .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. Clearance Air Max Outlet ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. http://www.airmaxoutletcheap.com/ . 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LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didnt mention either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton by name, but the presidential election was on his mind when he came to Harvard on Saturday to talk to the players on the Crimson basketball team.Nor did the Basketball Hall of Famer need to cite Colin Kaepernick by name when he said current sports stars were getting their baptism in social movements.Im glad to see that the younger athletes are concerned and saying something about it. Thats how we solve things, Abdul-Jabbar told reporters before meeting with the players.The Founding Fathers gave us a great method. But it requires us to listen, and to inform others of our ideas in a polite and understanding way. They have a ways to go.Wearing a Harvard cap and sweatshirt, Abdul-Jabbar ducked his head to get through the door of the conference room overlooking the schools 113-year-old football stadium. Soon he would be joined by the players -- all of them born long after he scored the last of his NBA record 38,387 points.Settling into a chair in front of a fireplace, his latest book on the table in front of him, Abdul-Jabbar said he felt compelled to speak out about a political climate with an emphasis on anger and division.Theres a certain feeling of alarm among segments of our population because the skin color of the country has gotten a little bit darker over the past 20 or 30 years. And that has caused alarm for some people, he said. People of color are patriotic Americans in the same way that white people are.Abdul-Jabbar said it will be difficult to make progress on the countrys issues when the two sides arent listening to each other. A battle like this is not being waged with facts. That bothers me, he said. We should be able to agree on what the facts are.A student at UCLA in the late 1960s, Abdul-Jabbar lived through the Civil Rights movement and said he tried to follow the example set by Muhammad Ali, who was stripped of his title for refusing induction into the Vietnam War. Abdul-Jabbar refused to play on the 1968 Olympic basketball team, saying the country didnt represent him.Kaepernick made similar comments when he refused to stand for the national anthem before NFL games, a protest that renewed the debate on race.Its not easy, trying to motivate people, especially on something as politically volatile as these issues are. Peoople being shot in the street; its a very emotional and a very intense subject, Abdul-Jabbar said.dddddddddddd Im sure hes finding that out. But the fact that hes persisting with it, Ive got to give him credit for it.Abdul-Jabbar also answered questions about his latest book, Writings on the Wall; Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White, a series of political essays from the perspective of an athlete, African-American and Muslim. He spoke about the current NBA, which has moved away from centers who played the position like him in favor of 3-point-shooting big men.The three-point shot isnt the answer to everything, he said. Everybody thought that small ball was going to dominate. You saw what happened to Golden State when they lost Andrew Bogut: They couldnt compete. So big guys still have a prominence in the game, and a place in the game that has not been totally eliminated.Abdul-Jabbar said he never regretted finishing college; nor was he tempted by a reported $1 million offer to join the Harlem Globetrotters. He encouraged college athletes -- not just at Harvard, but even at more traditional basketball powers -- to spend more time in school so they could learn the game.The longer that they stay here, the better that they will play, he said. If they stay in college for four years, thats the best way to achieve all that they want to achieve as basketball players. To try to jump to the NBA is not the way to go.It wasnt Abdul-Jabbars first trip to the Ivy League school on the Charles River: In 1972, already an NBA champion, he attended Harvard summer school to learn Arabic so he could learn more about his Muslim faith.It was a tough semester for me, but I learned it, he said, reporting that he got an A.With former Celtics Satch Sanders and M.L. Carr sitting in the back of the room, Abdul-Jabbar said the highlight of his career was beating the Celtics in Boston in the 1985 NBA Finals. At the time, the Lakers had never beaten the Celtics for the championship.Asked where he would rank his performance in the movie Airplane! among his accomplishments, Abdul-Jabbars competitive spirit emerged.Airplane! has done better than any movie that Shaquille (ONeal) has made, he said. Ill leave it at that. ' ' '