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Chris Berman Will Haunt You Forever

Posted: Jul 10th 2007 12:25PM by Eamonn Brennan (author feed)
Filed under: MLB All-Star Game, MLB Video

0 COMMENTS



You thought you made it through the night unscathed. As soon as "The Bronx Is Burning" came on, you looked around at your family members with tears welling up in your eyes and a smile on your face, and you said: "We made it. I love you guys." Yes, you thought you were home free.

Wrong! Chris Berman isn't done with you yet -- he's here to make sure you get your fair share of silly nicknames and geographical references the day after the derby, too. If your head doesn't explode when Dusty Baker starts doing the "back back back" thing, well, you're a stronger man (or woman) than I.

(HT: Extra Mustard)

The 2007 Home Run Derby Live Blog

Posted: Jul 9th 2007 7:08PM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: MLB All-Star Game, MLB Live Blogging

20 COMMENTS

The Home Run Derby is not perfect. It lasts too long, Chris Berman makes my ears want to bleed, most of the best players aren't participating, and the players all look really stupid in their team hats and All-Star warm-up jerseys. But you know what? No one's expecting perfect. Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard were both born for this kind of thing and they're here, along with one of the best hitters any of us may ever see (Albert Pujols, of course). There will be lots of home runs hit, there will be lots of people doing stupid things in boats, there will be a lot of fun had, and no one will try to make it more important than it really is. That can only mean one thing: live blog. Anyways, the whole thing kicks off at 8 PM and I'll be here, so follow along with the live updates after the jump.
Continue Reading The 2007 Home Run Derby Live Blog

MLB Should Make the DH Mandatory in the All-Star Game

Posted: Jul 9th 2007 6:20PM by Larry Brown (author feed)
Filed under: MLB All-Star Game

3 COMMENTS
Yeah, sure, I understand that "this time it counts," meaning the All-Star game is treated as something that matters. Still, I don't care if an NL park is hosting the game; I want to see hitters hit and pitchers pitch. I don't even want to see a pitcher's name in the batting order, regardless of whether or not wood and pine tar actually touches their hands. It's just a stupid practice that needs to be scrapped.

PostmanE already pointed out some of the shortcomings of the All-Star game, noting that the home run derby has become the true focal point of fan excitement. Making the DH mandatory should be added to the list of All-Star game changes. Why should managers be concerned with constantly pinch-hitting for the pitcher, or pulling off double-switches? Everyone in the park and every fan watching on TV is tuning in to see the best hitters in baseball face the best pitchers in baseball. So why even leave it in question that a pitcher will be in the lineup?

Seriously, do I want to see Dan Haren's name in the AL lineup batting 9th, or Gary Sheffield Justin Morneau batting sixth, and Placido Polanco hitting last? It doesn't take a brain surgeon to know the fans want to see Albert Pujols or Matt Holliday in the middle of the NL lineup rather than Jake Peavy at the bottom. This is just another example of how MLB needs to take a clue in improving the All-Star game. Pitchers in the lineup? What a joke.

Previously at FanHouse:
Drop the Charade: The Home Run Derby Is Better Than the All-Star Game

Handicapping the Home Run Derby

Posted: Jul 9th 2007 5:31PM by Larry Brown (author feed)
Filed under: MLB All-Star Game

2 COMMENTS
Whoever said that the home run derby was for the fans, they were wrong; the home run derby is for the gamblers. With that in mind, I would like to present the odds for this year's home run derby. According to Bodog's sportsbook, at 2/1, Ryan Howard is the favorite to defend his title. Here are the odds:

  1. Ryan Howard 2:1
  2. Prince Fielder 3:1
  3. Albert Pujols 7:2
  4. Justin Morneau 9:2
  5. Vladimir Guerrero 6:1
  6. Matt Holliday 10:1
  7. Magglio Ordonez 11:1
  8. Alex Rios 12:1

Given the recent history of the derby, I would be inclined to go with one of the hitters you would least expect to win it. Think about it, aside from last year when Howard took home the crown, it has been non-home run hitters who have dominated the derby the past few years. Bobby Abreu won it in 2005, Miguel Tejada in 2004, and Garret Anderson in 2003. Those three players have combined for 15 dingers this year. Every player in the derby has at least that many, except Vlad (14) and Mags (13). Taking a look at those stats, and it's almost a curse to win the derby. Anyways, my money's on Rios, he has the sweetest and easiest swing of them all. Of course, I'll be sitting here with my head in my hands when he fails to go ya-ya, but for now, that's my pick.

Previously at FanHouse:
How to Improve the Home Run Derby

Drop the Charade: The Home Run Derby Is Better Than the All-Star Game

Posted: Jul 9th 2007 3:00PM by Eamonn Brennan (author feed)
Filed under: MLB All-Star Game, MLB Fans, San Francisco

8 COMMENTS
I hate pretense. It's something that almost ruins NCAA athletics for me. Everybody carries on like Division I athletes are amateurs, that everyone follows an archaic recruiting guidebook, that no one cheats or slips people a little money here and there. None of it's true, of course, and it's people that argue for the NCAA in comparison to, say, the NBA, that spout that convenient and annoying tripe. At least in the NBA, there is no pretense of amateurism. People are paid what the market (either rightly or wrongly) values them, something the NCAA will never do for its thousands of revenue-generating athletes.

Which is all a long way of saying: I hate pretense. The same issues infect the MLB All-Star Game, making it an almost painful experience sometimes. I love the idea of the game: these are the world's best baseball players (or most of them, anyway) competing on one field one time a year. There's something special about that.

What's not special is that Major League Baseball and Bud Selig, embarrassed by the tie-game debacle in 2002, have suddenly contrived "meaning" for the game -- the league that wins gets home-field advantage for the World Series. This is supposed to make players care about playing, but has the net effect of making me care far less about the actual game.
Continue Reading Drop the Charade: The Home Run Derby Is Better Than the All-Star Game

Prince Fielder Is Not Afraid of a Post Home Run Derby Slump

Posted: Jul 9th 2007 11:18AM by Pat Lackey (author feed)
Filed under: Brewers, NL Central, MLB All-Star Game, Milwaukee

2 COMMENTS
Lots of players that refuse to take part in the Home Run Derby do it on the grounds of not wanting to mess up their swings. They like to cite Bobby Abreu who rolled into the break with 18 homers in 2005, won the derby with an impressive showing of power, and only hit six post-break. They also point out guys like Jason Bay and Mike Piazza, guys who didn't change their swings and put up embarrassing donuts. Well, Prince Fielder isn't worried about any of that and in fact, he kind of thinks it's crap.

"I'm just going to try to hit the ball high and far, I think," he said.

Some players, most notably former Brewer Carlos Lee in 2005, have said that participating in the home-run contest caused them problems in the second half of the season. Lee had 22 homers and 76 RBI at the break in 2005 and had just 10 homers and 38 RBI after the break.

"I don't think it can mess you up that much," Fielder said. "I do it in BP (batting practice) sometimes anyway. I don't think it's going to mess my swing up at all.

"I'm just going to have fun and see if I can hit a couple home runs."

Watching Fielder swing, I'd say he's a lot more likely to end up like Ryan Howard last year than Carlos Lee or Abreu in the past. He does not get cheated at the plate and his swing is designed to deposit the ball into the stands. He's already got more homers this year (29) than he did all of last year. If more players would take the Derby with his "grip it and rip it" mentality, it might be still worth watching.

Peter Magowan Disappointed Bonds Is Skipping the Home Run Derby

Posted: Jul 7th 2007 11:23PM by Larry Brown (author feed)
Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB All-Star Game, San Francisco

0 COMMENTS
This week I said that Barry Bonds owes it to the fans to participate in the home run derby -- especially now that we know they cheated to vote him into the All-Star game. MJD doesn't feel Barry owes anybody, but he was disappointed Bonds had elected to pass it up. Well, count Giants managing partner Peter Magowan amongst the disappointed crowd:
"But I do think he's passed up a real opportunity to be able to thank the fans," Magowan said. "The community would have loved to have seen him participate in this contest. I just think, in San Francisco, maybe the last All-Star Game that he would participate in possibly - and to have the place filled with people who were going to be there supporting him - I just thought it was a marvelous opportunity for him, as well as for our fans.

"So I'm disappointed, but I understand the reasons why he made the decision that he did."

I think everyone understands why Barry has elected not to participate in the derby, but it doesn't change the fact that he has disappointed several people, including the team's front office. I still maintain Barry owes it to the fans that "voted" him into the game to participate, especially since it's at his home park. Obviously the Giants brass feels the same way.

Previously at FanHouse:
Barry Bonds Owes it to Fans to Participate in the Home Run Derby
The Debriefing: Fists Full of SchruteBucks VIII
Barry Bonds News
Sorry, No Photos

Barry Bonds Owes it to Fans to Participate in the Home Run Derby

Posted: Jul 5th 2007 5:10PM by Larry Brown (author feed)
Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB All-Star Game, San Francisco, The Word

35 COMMENTS
Let me make this clear: I don't like Barry Bonds. I believe he cheating the game of baseball and is poised to break Hank Aaron's record only because he used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Making matters even worse, he doesn't speak to the media frequently, and is a jerk to people on and off the field. But if the guy supposedly got voted into the All-Star game by the fans, and if he's about to break the record without us being able to do anything about it, then the least he can do is put on a show for the fans at his home park.

Yes, you hear me correctly. Barry Bonds owes it to the fans and to baseball to participate in the Home Run Derby at AT&T Park. He has no excuse not to. His team is terrible, and definitely out of the race. He's also at 751 meaning he's close enough to the record where even if he goes in a Bobby Abreu post-derby slump, he can still break the all-time record. He has admitted to taking flaxseed oil -- and based on Game of Shadows, he took performance-enhancers for himself -- to get better and compete with inferior players who had usurped his play on the field. It was not to make money or to entertain fans, it was to be better than everyone else.
Continue Reading Barry Bonds Owes it to Fans to Participate in the Home Run Derby

Ryan Howard To Defend HR Derby Title

Posted: Jul 2nd 2007 11:37PM by Mullet (author feed)
Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East, MLB All-Star Game

1 COMMENT
What home run derby curse? Ryan Howard isn't afraid of one. He hit 24 home runs to win last year's derby, and ended the season with 58 real life HRs. And even though he isn't on the actual All-Star team this season, Howard is going to defend his home run derby crown in San Francisco next week.
"It was fun last year and an honor to be invited back, whether I'm on the team or not," said Howard, who is hoping Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr. and San Francisco's Barry Bonds, two players he grew up admiring, will also join the field.

"Potentially having those guys in the Derby, it would be ridiculous," Howard said. "It will be a power-packed field. I'm going to have fun, and whatever happens, happens."

That would make four lefties from the N.L. in the field, as Prince Fielder is already confirmed, in addition to the recently added Justin Morneau for the American League. Those guys in the boats are going to really work their arms rowing towards all of those HR balls. I sincerely hope someone doesn't drown.

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