On Facebook, 29 year-old Pete Frates, the former Boston College baseball captain living with ALS, challenges The Howard Stern Show and a number of his friends to participate in the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge.’ The post will become one of the catalysts that spark a viral call to action that will be taken up by celebrities, including Matt Lauder, Ethel Kennedy, Martha Stewart, and former Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, to raise funds and awareness for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

It is the Tigers who engineer the biggest blockbuster deal, however, as they pull CF Austin Jackson from their game with the White Sox in the middle of the 7th inning because he has just been traded to Seattle. They receive IF Nick Franklin in return, but immediately package him along with P Drew Smyly and SS prospect Willie Adames to Tampa Bay to reel in former Cy Young Award winner David Price.

The A’s are active at the trading deadline as they send All-Star OF Yoenis Cespedes to the Red Sox in return for P Jon Lester, another All-Star, and OF Jonny Gomes. With a surplus of starting pitchers on hand, they also deal Tom Milone to the Twins for OF Sam Fuld. Boston isn’t done either, as a couple of hours later it sends P John Lackey and minor leaguer Corey Littrell to the Cardinals in return for OF/1B Allen Craig and P Joe Kelly. The Red Sox make two more deals, shipping reliever Andrew Miller to Baltimore for pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez and SS Stephen Drew to the Yankees for IF Kelly Johnson to complete a radical roster make-over.