Box Score 10/5: Baker, Towns and Mario

Welcome to YB's Box Score, what we're reading while we wait for the next extra-innings Wild Card Game.

Happy birthday to Mario Lemieux, Patrick Roy, and Grant Hill. Today marks the anniversary of the first New Jersey Devils game in 1982. They tied the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-3.

Around the League:

• Deadspin asks why do people even care about who athletes endorse in politics. [Deadspin]
• "And it’s this level of derision from the city’s athletes that makes Charlotte unique in the state of modern protesting during a renewed age of activism." SBNation spent 96 hours in Charlotte. [SBN]
• Ratings for WWE's RAW are declining. [Vice Sports]
• AL Wild Card isn't cold yet, but some suggestions on how the Orioles can get back to the playoffs again in 2017. [Fox Sports]

YB ICYMI:

While Baker’s presence made an undoubtable difference, the pure talent of the team did as well. The Nationals’ resurrection came on the back of being in the worst division in baseball and was more of a return to pre-2015 form, when they won 96 games for Williams. - The favorites to win Manager of the Year

Most of our panel picked the Blue Jays to win, so we're looking pretty good on the next office Vegas trip. - Jays-O's Wild Card: Our picks and why either team can win

Last season, Arizona had a quick, tough defense that put fear in opponents. This year, they've lost to quarterbacks named Jimmy Garoppolo, Tyrod Taylor and Case Keenum. Last season, Carson Palmer was in the running for MVP. This year, he has a completion percentage under 60 percent, a 6-5 TD-to-INT ratio, and he's in the concussion protocol and may miss Arizona's Thursday night game with the 49ers. - Last year's NFL playoff teams having are surprisingly bad seasons

Without trying to be too dramatic, Towns is going to be an all-time great. His game has Hall of Fame career written all over it, but he’s still becoming a complete player. Year two should be a huge jump, and watching him take that next giant leap for Minnesota will be a joy to watch. - Five power forwards to watch for the 2016-17 NBA season

Where the series differs from similar franchises, however, is that the creatures you collect are Yo-kai, mischievous spirits that cause everyday problems. These creatures have their origins in Japanese folklore, and in the game world, can be blamed for everything from unexplained cravings for sweets to bed head to a nagging urge to gossip. - Yo-kai Watch 2 review: Soul food for the inner child

Boom.