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DirtyKash's Blog

Home Run Derby: Who Should Participate?

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MLB.com has a poll up asking fans to vote for who they'd like to see in the annual Home Run Derby, with results "in no way" determining which players actually take part in the event. It's a start, I guess, that they let us vote for this, seeing that we can't even vote for pitchers in the All-Star game.





Now if you want to vote for the .176-hitting Carlos Pena, go right ahead. If you want to vote for the .186-hitting Aaron Hill, be my guest. Even you even want to vote for DL'ed Grady Sizemore or Joe "I have 2 home runs this season" Mauer, fine.

But here are the guys I would write in if they allowed more than 1 per league.


American League:

David Ortiz - tore the cover off the ball in May with 10 home runs.

Jose Bautista - currently tied for the major-league lead in home runs with 16. He has been surprising.

Paul Konerko - he had 11 home runs in the month of April, hit two more home runs tonight and is now tied for the major-league lead in home runs with 16 overall.

Ty Wigginton - 13 home runs this season. He has been one of the lone bright spots on an otherwise putrid Orioles team. As expected.


National League:

Corey Hart - not your traditional home run hitter, but his short stroke has been good to him. 11 home runs in his last 17 games. He's not messing around.

Dan Uggla - his name is Dan Uggla. Who would be more fun to root for in a Derby?

Scott Rolen - the Renaissance! Rolen has been sizzling hot with 13 home runs already after hitting 11 all of last year.

Rod Barajas - sure, he's fat, slow and a catcher. But he's in the top 10 in the National League in home runs with 11. Why don't we put a Met in the Derby to give their fans something to cheer for? They've been brutalized for long enough.

Comments

  1. realmofotalk's Avatar
    Ichiro. His batting practice power is the Bigfoot or Loch Ness monster of baseball.
  2. Kingdom's Avatar
    If you want to see DK's craptacufest of a home run derby, be my guest.
  3. Kingdom's Avatar
    Dunn, Heyward, Fielder (to defend the title), and Reynolds. Votto and Willingham as alternatives

    Hamilton, Morneau, Miguel Cabrera, and Vlad's return (if he's alive after today's batting practice snafu). Cano and Konerko as alternatives.

    Frankly, I don't care if the guy is hitting .220. This isn't the ****ing singles derby. And Reynolds claim to fame, hitting homeruns with distance. Sounds perfect to me.
  4. Porter's Avatar
    Branyan, Ichiro, Vlad and Hamilton

    Dunn, Fielder, Reynolds and Ryan Howard

    Branyan can hit some tape measure shots.
  5. realmofotalk's Avatar
    NL: Pujols, Fielder, Dunn, and Kemp. The Bison won't make the most consistent contact but he can smoke the ball to deep center. Not to mention it's just like BP, so he won't strike out looking or strike out swinging all the time!

    AL: Ichiro, and I don't care who the other three are. Just get Ichiro in there.
  6. missionhockey21's Avatar
    What DK, no love for Kelly Johnson? Surely you believe his early season power surge was for real.

    Anyway, my picks are...

    AL: Ichiro, Hamilton, Cabrera, Bautista (anyone mashing like that deserves the chance)
    NL: Dunn, Fielder, Reynolds, Pujols
  7. Providence A's's Avatar
    Does anyone really care anymore? They should have a HR derby of only pitchers.
  8. DirtyKash's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Providence A's
    They should have a HR derby of only pitchers.
    Yes. I'm sure that'll get good ratings.

    Quote Originally Posted by Providence A's
    Does anyone really care anymore?
    The HR Derby is still a very big deal. People pack the stadium to watch these guys mash. And chicks dig the long ball.
  9. Providence A's's Avatar
    Yea, I'm sure it's cool in person...but pointless and boring on TV to me. Obviously, my comment about a pitchers only HR derby was a joke.