2013 Homerun Derby Open Thread
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The Homerun Derby is one of those things that sounds better than it actually is. It’s fun … for the first 15 minutes or so. It has a tendency to drag and drag, and after a while even homers get boring. I remember seeing Buster Olney suggest adding a points system — so many points for hitting it here, more for hitting it there, etc. — to spice things up and I liked the idea because at least it adds some strategy. I dunno.
As usual, there are eight participants in the Derby this year. I continue to hope Adam Dunn, who was put on this Earth to swing away in an event like this, will one day get to strut his stuff in the Homerun Derby. Here are the eight participants, though I have no idea who will hit when. The order remains a mystery:
American League
Robinson Cano — captain
Yoenis Cespedes
Chris Davis
Prince Fielder
National League
David Wright — captain
Pedro Alvarez
Michael Cuddyer
Bryce Harper
Lots of intrigue here. You’ve got the two hometown captains obviously, then you’ve got another local guy in the Washington Heights-raised Alvarez. Davis leads the world with 37 (!) homers, Fielder is a two-time Derby champ (2009 and 2012), Harper is the young phenom, and Cespedes is the international man of mystery. Cuddyer is … Cuddyer. Not exactly a typical Derby candidate, but apparently Wright chose him because the two are close friends. Fair enough, captains get to do that sort of thing.
My official pick — which is basically just a guess — to win is Harper. It’s not just about raw power, it’s also about endurance. He’s by far the youngest and I’m assuming fatigue will be less of a factor for him. Who really knows though? That’s the fun. The Derby starts at 8pm ET and can be seen on ESPN, as usual. Talk about that or anything else you want right here. Enjoy.
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inb4 Cuddyer wins it all and pisses off everyone outside of Minnesota and Colorado.
Super duper do or die HR derby team of all time:
Rob Deer
Mark Reynolds
Adam Dunn
Dan Uggla
Harmon Killebrew
I’m out.
Apparently some Sports talk program in Chicago is reporting the Yankees may be close to acquiring Alex Rios. Not sure how credible that report is but Rios is obviously a huge upgrade over Vernon Wells.
Not a Rios lover, but man do we need help!
I find that hard to believe, especially with Granderson coming back kind of soon.
it’s a hundred frickin’ degrees out there. the ball will sail.
on another note. did anybody see the feature in the times about rex ryan and strat-o-matic? my uncles played when i was a little girl; i dabbled a little. the article got me wondering if any of the old-timers around here ever played, and if the game was an introduction to stat love for anyone else.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07.....wanted=all
I gave it a whirl in the 8th grade. It was a lot of fun.
You old -timer Robby!
Sure, we played it as kids. it was fun, a good way to pass a rainy afternoon it those pre-technology days..I remember another game similar to it called “Challenge The Yankees” It was pretty much the same idea, but more Yankee-centric. Naturally it was stacked in favor of the Bombers.
Sorry, there was no “Challenge The Mets” or “Challenge The Red Sox” , LOL
It was already pretty much past its time, but it was certainly a stat-geeky way, for its time, to have some fun.
I was much more a Pure-Stat Baseball guy on the Commodore 64. Obsessed, actually.
I absolutely loved that game when I was younger. I thought about picking up a more recent copy a few months ago, but decided against it. But I might do so some years down the road.
Unfortunately, they’ve stopped giving you cards for all the players in the league (well, most of them, at least – you’d get something like 30 players per team). You get a few teams and then get the rest online. It means the basic game is cheaper, but it’s more expensive overall if you want to get the full set. Oh well.
Well, the next 9 games after the break are pretty important to the season.
i got 8 to 1 odds on Wright to win it. Unlikely but the odds for a player at home to win it i like.
you’d have to give me better than 8:1 for wright.
Would fat ass Chris Berman STFU! Never thought I’d be so eager to see pre-recorded Pitbull
Chris Berman + HomeRun Derby = Ice Picks in Your Eardrums
Pitbull was still worse, which is quite impressive
He peaked at “Culo.”
I got Chris ( never used HGH or Steroids) Davis
Why was Cano booed? Come on Flushing, get your sh*t together
Friendly rivalry. Wouldn’t have it any other way. We all have to live with one another at the end of the day.
Look at Davis face and body and tell me its not like a sammy sosa ,mcguire flashback.
Here is hopeing davis and the prince stain a muscle or two.
Strain, tear,
“With the Pirates, Melancon has posted a sterling 0.81 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 44 1/3 IP and earned his first All-Star appearance.”
That’s Mark Melancon !!!! WOW!!!
Cashman you failed again..LOL
The Yankees haven’t develop to many aces, but their good with the relievers.
I was always a big fan of his and wanted him to get more of a chance in NY, but unfortunately it just didn’t happen. He didn’t help himself by struggling periodically, but he also did have very sporadic work which is one thing for a long reliever, but tougher for a short reliever.
There’s nothing that gets a young pitcher on my bad side quicker than coming up and being allergic to strikes. Melancon was particularly egregious in the way. Never been able to shake it with him.
I like the interview posted with him by Chad, though.
Him and Burnett, NL bro’s.
The bad: ESPN is out for me so I can’t flip over to the derby periodically.
The good: Not having to listen to Berman at all.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m out of the country but mlb.com is broadcasting it.
hmm, you’re right. Just found it, and in time to see Cespedes hit one into the upper deck…
You know what I think the good outweighs the bad.
Yeah, I was kind of thinking that too.
This is almost as bad as the NBA slam dunk contest.
Yet I’m watching. I wanna see Cano
I’ll watch the highlights. I can’t get myself worked up over any All-Star games in any sport anymore.
With baseball, I’d just sit there actively pissed off at the whole homefield advantage thing.
none of them towering but cuddy turning in a more-than-respectable 7.
Just saw on their list that Fielder hit one 480+ feet?
It went into the third to last row in the Pepsi Porch
Cespedes is putting on quite a show!
Another could have been….
everybody’s tweeting about arod’s homerun in trenton.
He hit one out tonight? Awesome, good sign with less than a week left till the end of the rehab assignment.
Awesome! Thanks!
Speaking of Homers, A-Rod actually hit one in Trenton tonight
okay, this is funny.
Andrew Marchand
RT @Lynchy96: @AndrewMarchand surprised someone didn’t ask Phil Hughes to pitch for them #HRDerby
Bravo.
#lowhangingfruit
Mr steroid up
Steroids or not, I don’t care. He’s fun to watch. Plus if he is taking steroids, he’s making the right decision because it looks like a huge contract will be coming his way soon.
Unlike all the squeaky-clean guys on our team throughout the years, right?
He hit the truck
Nice hair Bryce
Harper is too young to be so ugly.
Hey, be nice to Future Yankee ™ Bryce Harper
When he’s a Yankee, he’ll be handsome.
Robbie, you don’t have to use a trainer for your crotch stretches. I’ll volunteer. . .
Her broken heart has mended.
There are many paths to healing . . . .
So, what’s everyone thinking about the team making a deal over the AS Break? I’m thinking its like 60/40 in favor of a move. Stupid Phillies don’t look like they’ll sell right now, so I’m thinking its either gonna be Rios, or an out of the blue move with Hughes/Joba going to Arizona or something like that.
I put it around 90% or more against a move being made.
I think it’s over 90% that a deal is made, but under 10% that it’s for a major piece.
Yeah. I agree.
I just went on Twitter and saw that Phil Hughes blocked me. A little puzzeling to say the least. I maybe tweeted him twice both encouraging after his latest start. Very odd.
Come on Cespedes, if Harper wins we’ll never hear the end of it from ESPN
Cespedes wins it with the most impressive homerun of the night!
Nice! That was a beautiful display. And hooray for Captain Cano.
Cespedes was by far the most entertaining one to watch tonight. He made that upper deck his playground.
Sure glad Cashman and Co. didn’t try to sign Cespedes.
Personally, I prefer players who don’t make outs in over 70% of their PA’s.
(Yes, I know it’s only this season…so far)
They should just sign everyone and let them fight it out for 25 spots. Then we can complain about Evan Longoria blocking the prospects in AAA and why Yasiel Puig is stuck in AA.
It’s what Papa Bear would have done.
Lmao, there are still people in most threads saying the Yankees are blocking “the kids” with all these shit players. Just trade em all and let the “the kids” play. The kids have been Romaine, Adams and Almonte. That’s the best the Yankees had close to MLB ready. People want worse players than that trio brought up. People want JR Murphy brought up after a good month.
Lettuce pray.