View Full Version : Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby, which takes place on the Monday before the All Star game on Tuesday, is arguably the best "All Star add-on" of the Big Four sports.
This year it seems like it'll be even better, as they're selected eight players from eight different countries to participate. A whole "national pride" theme to the Derby in Detroit this year.
Introducing your 2005 Home Run Derby participants.
CANADA
http://espn.go.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/7143.jpg
Jason Bay, Pittsburgh Pirates (16 HR).
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
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David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (21 HR).
NETHERLANDS
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Andruw Jones, Atlanta Braves (27 HR).
PANAMA
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Carlos Lee, Milwaukee Brewers (22 HR).
PUERTO RICO
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Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit Tigers (5 HR).
SOUTH KOREA
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Hee-Seop Choi, Los Angeles Dodgers (13 HR).
UNITED STATES
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Mark Teixeira, Texas Rangers (22 HR).
VENEZUELA
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Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia Phillies (18 HR).
Looks like a fairly solid group. A few "fillers" because they wanted eight countries represented.
Leafs_Fa_Life
7-08-05, 2:05 PM
Ichiro should be fine. I've heard he really launches the ball in BP, and of course the hitters see BP quality pitches in the derby :nod:
Too bad Matsui didn't make it. He could represent Japan a lot better than Ichiro IMO.
Re: Jason Bay = good slugger. I had him on one fantasy team but I had to trade him when I got an opportunity to aquire Pujols in a package deal.
KB in Kelowna
7-08-05, 2:27 PM
Too bad Matsui didn't make it. He could represent Japan a lot better than Ichiro IMO.
Re: Jason Bay = good slugger. I had him on one fantasy team but I had to trade him when I got an opportunity to aquire Pujols in a package deal.
Have to agree about Matsui, as much as I like Ichiro.
Re Jason Bay, if you play the six degree of separation game, my wife works with his aunt. So that is 3 degrees for me.
Matt Cooke
7-08-05, 4:58 PM
Ichiro should be fine. I've heard he really launches the ball in BP, and of course the hitters see BP quality pitches in the derby :nod:
Mariners manager Mike Hargrove was quoted saying that if Ichiro enters the HR derby, he will win it. Apparently he just kills the ball. Granted, Comerica park isn't exactly the easiest place to hit long bombs. I personally think him entering is silly, but like many, I want to see what unfolds.
I'll cheer for Ichiro. What the hell? :nod:
Matt Cooke
7-08-05, 5:38 PM
I'll cheer for Andruw Jones. Always enjoyed watching him play and he's the only talented "Jones" on the Braves. :)
Daryl Shilling
7-09-05, 1:17 AM
Mariners manager Mike Hargrove was quoted saying that if Ichiro enters the HR derby, he will win it. Apparently he just kills the ball. Granted, Comerica park isn't exactly the easiest place to hit long bombs. I personally think him entering is silly, but like many, I want to see what unfolds.
Wade Boggs used to damn near make Ted Williams pull his hair out in frustration. Williams would watch BP, and he'd see Boggs rip HR after HR; he was really tearing the cover off the ball. Then, come game time, he'd slap the ball over to left field. :cry:
Sort of like Mickey Mantle said: "If I hit like Pete Rose, I'd wear a dress." :laughing:
Daryl
Woe I just re-read this, Pudge only has 5? I thought he was more of a long ball hitter than that, but I see he only broke 30 one time (1999). :shrug: And that was the only year he broke 100 RBI. Although since 99, it appears he's missed some time due to injury on a fairly regular basis.
Side Note: I don't think he should be called pudge. That nick name rightfully belongs to Carlton Fisk!
(I'm sure Daryl will correct me if I'm wrong) :)
Daryl Shilling
7-09-05, 10:06 AM
Side Note: I don't think he should be called pudge. That nick name rightfully belongs to Carlton Fisk!
(I'm sure Daryl will correct me if I'm wrong) :)
Hell no! :)
I agree with you about that, and thought that only Fisk should be called Pudge. I'm sure it was only intended as a compliment, of course.
Daryl
leaferfan87
7-09-05, 1:40 PM
Andruw Jones is from the Netherlands?
Leafs_Fa_Life
7-09-05, 2:30 PM
Ichiro is out, Choi is in.
KB in Kelowna
7-09-05, 2:32 PM
Andruw Jones is from the Netherlands?
He is from one of the Caribbean Islands, Aruba I think, that are Dutch territory.
Daryl Shilling
7-09-05, 2:37 PM
Ichiro is out, Choi is in.
Hmm. I wonder if Ichiro wasn't very interested, then... Anyway, Japan is out, Korea is in.
Daryl
KB in Kelowna
7-09-05, 2:41 PM
If Ichiro is out why not Matsui? Is he injured or something?
Leafs_Fa_Life
7-09-05, 2:46 PM
If Ichiro is out why not Matsui? Is he injured or something?
I guess Matsui wants a few days off :shrug:
Don't you have to make the team to participate in the HR derby?
Leafs_Fa_Life
7-09-05, 2:58 PM
Don't you have to make the team to participate in the HR derby?
Usually, but the league can bend the rules if they want. Last year they invited Palmerio to the derby because they wanted to do the whole 500 homerun club thing with him and the starting outfielders (Sosa, Bonds, Griffey). This year since they wanna do the world theme they also needed to reach for a non-allstar to fill the eight spots.
When Matsui was still in contention for the final spot, he said through his translator that if chosen, he'd be honored to play... if not he'd enjoy the time off.
So yeah, I guess he's not really thrilled with the idea of travelling to Detroit just for a home run derby.
How come Podsednik is not in the derby? :wicked:
Leafs_Fa_Life
7-11-05, 8:16 PM
Mike Piazza looked like he was having some fun :confused: :conspire:
Leafs_Fa_Life
7-11-05, 8:48 PM
Yeah...Bobby Abreu with 24 jacks :eek:
Jason Bay followed with a goose egg :cry:
Weird, it's not starting for me for another 10 minutes...
Now I'm sad that I know Bay isn't going to put anything up :cry:
Teixera came up short too. so don't feel bad. Ortiz is nailing a few right now. Taking a LOT of pitches. THey might have to go to the bullpen :laughing:
Johynny Damon singing was f---ing horrible. I like Damon... when he's playing baseball :rolleyes:
(Ortiz just made the second round... he's up to 8 homers.)
EDIT: make it 12
I just saw Bay's goose egg.
The commentators were very classy about it, I was a bit worried. Even a hockey comment in Deadmarsh and Ferraro!
Madferret
7-11-05, 9:49 PM
Who's the duck calling this derby?
Who's the duck calling this derby?
:laughing:
Leafs_Fa_Life
7-11-05, 10:01 PM
I just saw Bay's goose egg.
The commentators were very classy about it, I was a bit worried. Even a hockey comment in Deadmarsh and Ferraro!
Berman's a good guy. Often he'll show CFL playoff highlights during NFL Primetime :thumb:
I must say, this country vs. country competition makes me pumped for the world baseball classic. That might be why they broke the HR derby down by country this year. :shrug:
Leafs_Fa_Life
7-11-05, 11:48 PM
Bo Jackson goes yard in the celeb softball game.
Too bad they don't let Jennie Finch pitch the way she's capable of :nod:
EDIT--Now Chris Chelios goes yard :thumb:
Berman's a good guy. Often he'll show CFL playoff highlights during NFL Primetime :thumb:Yeah, Chris Berman is the man - an original at ESPN, from 1979. Too bad this will be the final season of NFL Primetime, because NBC is taking the Sunday night game in 2006. I loved when he did the Dick Vitale impression after another Vitale won the SUV. Very funny.
All in all it was a fairly good derby. That was quite the pleasant surprise to see Bobby Abreu start things off with the 2-4 spot. I didn't have much expected for Jason Bay, because earlier on Monday he said he'd be happy with one. At least the other North American also went oh-for.
In the final, I was rooting for Pudge, because it would have been nice to see the home team guy win it. But like last year with Lance Berkman losing in the final round, I-Rod did too, to the much deserving Venezuelan who he hit 41 total home runs tonight. :eek:
It's hard to believe that there was an era where players struggled to hit 10 home runs in a round.
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