I tried my best not to enjoy Monday's All-Star Home Run Derby.
I complained that the best power hitters in the game weren't in it. I moaned that the biggest stars no longer cared about it (even Alex Rodriguez blew it off, despite the opportunity to perform before his home fans in a historic home stadium potentially hosting its last big event). Most of all, I whined that it had become the baseball version of the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest -- an event that was once a good idea, but had far outlived its usefulness.
Then Josh Hamilton stepped up to the plate and my perspective changed drastically.
Suddenly it didn't matter that the field included a pair of second basemen, a leadoff hitter and one of the Desperate Housewives (Don't worry, I know it was really Evan Longoria, not Mrs. Tony Parker). All I knew is that this once-troubled kid with arms like a longshoreman, an electric smile and a 71-year-old former coach for a pitcher was hitting the ball out of sight with every swing he took.
What an amazing story -- even if ESPN tried as hard as it could to spoil the moment, as it usually does, by going overboard trying to tell it. I mean, did we really need to hear about Hamilton's unwanted tattoos THREE times during the telecast?
The only real injustice is that the Texas Rangers' star didn't get to go home with the trophy he so richly deserved. But as the eventual winner -- Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins -- conceded, "it was Josh's show" and that's all people are going to remember for years to come. Even with the anticlimactic ending and ESPN's annoying coverage (lowlighted by columnist Rick Reilly's insulting comparison to the number of white guys in the competition to a "Kiwanis Club meeting") it was an entertaining show that renewed my waning enthusiasm for the Home Run Derby.
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2 comments:
Well said Brett!
I couldn't help but enjoy the contest (at least the 1st round). Mark me down as in the 'they need to change the rules' camp. I'd like more people in the derby with 15 outs, one round winner take all. Or at least say that if you have a 10 home run lead at the end, you win. Hamilton was the unofficial champ hands down.
What's up the the ump taking the home run away? So if some 14 year old pulls a Jose Juice Canseco then that counts as a HR?
Rick Riley was good for at least 3 classic comments,remember this gem:
"who need's steroids?"
I'm sure Selig enjoyed that.
All in all a good watch (even though it was too long)
keep it coming-
GO NL !
I honestly believe that Hamilton lost because his elderly pitcher got tired by the final round. All those pitches that were waist-high and above in the first two rounds gradually got lower and lower, making it more difficult for the kid to drive the ball like he had been. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, because the gesture of having his old Legion coach there to share the moment was very cool. But that's what I think happened.
If only that ump who overruled the homer had been there in 1996, we'd never know the name Jeffrey Maier.
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