HR DerbyÂ?Latest: Prince will participate

[Menotti80]

Does anyone know when the players for the Derby will be selected, or rather invited???

I'mm assuming Prince will get the invite, but I'm not sure if I would want him to do it.

Many players lately have had a poor second half after participating in the HR Derby, which is why i'm nervous about him participating. But then again, Ryan Howard won it last year, and we all know how his second half led to winning the MVP...

Then again, I would love to see Prince hit about 40 balls into the cove...

 

 

(Updated thread title --1992casey)

[Kpanz20]

I think this was discussed in the all-star thread. But I too am wondering when they announce the competitors for the derby. I imagine a week or 2 at the most.

[Baldkin]

From here:

 

Fielder said he'll take part in the Home Run Derby.

 

"That will be pretty cool. I just want to hit one first. That will be a lot of fun," he said.

[BrewCrewForever]

Prince will put on a show in the competition. I wonder if Griffey and Bonds will both enter as well?

[Baldkin]

Bonds said he wouldn't. Howard will probably be in it, even though he's not an All-Star.

[JJHardy7]

Have they ever had a non-all star in HR derby?

[rluzinski]

Many players lately have had a poor second half after participating in the HR Derby, which is why i'm nervous about him participating.

 

Many players get into the All Star game by playing over their heads for a few months. Hardy might be a good example of that (I think he's a good player but he's probably not a true .900+ OPS hitter at this point). It would be probably be expected that the average production from the home run derby participants actually goes down in the second half.

[pitchleague]

I don't think non-All Stars can participate in the Home Run Derby.

[valpocrewsader]

Quote:

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Have they ever had a non-all star in HR derby?

---

 

Hee-Seop Choi in 2005?

Rafael Palmeiro in 2004?

[Patrick425]

Quote:

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I think this was discussed in the all-star thread. But I too am wondering when they announce the competitors for the derby. I imagine a week or 2 at the most

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.

 

I hope it's not 2 weeks...it will be over by then. :P

 

 

edit: never could figure out the emoticons

[Kpanz20]

ahhh my mistake.. I don't know why but I was thinking it was in 3 weeks.

[EAsports28]

Anyone up for guessing who the Derby participants will be? Here's my guesses of who will participate, not who I wish would...and I'm going to assume for now that non-all-stars can't participate, unless I'm corrected otherwise, but the biggest people that affects are Howard and Dunn:

 

Prince

Ortiz

Morneau

Pujols

C. Lee

Utley

Griffey (please?)

Alex Rios

 

 

I felt like Soriano should've been there instead of Rios, but that would've been 6-2 NL, probably too much. The veterans Lee, Pujols, and Griffey could all presumably decline (Ortiz loves it, he'll do it again), but at least MLB isn't nearly as bad as the NBA dunk contest at convincing stars to participate.

[crackley]

i think i remember carlos saying he wont ever participate in the HR derby again after that poor 2nd half.

[Schlitz001]

As per the mlb.com here are what some players said about participating in the HR derby this year if asked:

 

Yes

Prince Fielder

Miguel Cabrera

Matt Holliday

Justin Morneau

 

Maybe/No Comment

Barry Bonds

Ken Griffey Jr.

Ryan Howard

 

No

David Wright

Carlos Beltran

Albert Pujols (small possibility)

JJ Hardy

David Ortiz

Manny Ramirez

Alex Rodriguez

Torri Hunter

[razzzorsharp]

They should have an old vs. new movement with this one and get Griffey/Bonds to particpate.

[Tisko]

You know who would be fun to watch in the derby? Branyan.

 

 

Fixed spelling - b19

[jason21nl]

if there is one thing that I can't stand about the HR derby its Berman and his back back back hr call. Other than that, I enjoy watching it and seeing how far these guys can hit a ball. Its amazing

[crewcrazy]

Ryan Howard said he's going to San Fran to defend his title, even though he's not playing in the game. Good to see.

 

With McCovey Cove being featured, I'd love to see a lefty-heavy group compete this year.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

You know who would be fun to watch in the derby

 

Yes but the kids have to be in bed. Branyan wouldnt be done hitting until 3 in the mourning when the cops take him away for littering so many balls in McCovy cove.

[EAsports28]

All I can say in response to Sheets4CY is...true that.

 

Russell Branyan could outhit the Hulk.

[RightFieldCoder]

I can see the Derby lasting 13 hours as Russell just waits there trying to draw the walk...

[1992casey]

Here's the link provided by lukevan in the locked thread:

 

Prince among men: Fielder in Derby

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.dailymail.com/story/S...ower-pick/

 

Brewer makes Power pick

Power Manager Mike Guerrero to pitch to Prince Fielder for All-Star Home Run Derby

Jacob Messer

Charleston Daily Mail Sportswriter

 

Kanawha Valley (W.V.)baseball fans will see a familiar face Monday night when they watch the State Farm Home Run Derby on ESPN.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers have chosen West Virginia Power Manager Mike Guerrero to pitch to All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder during the popular competition, which will be part of the festivities at Major League Baseball's 78th annual midsummer classic at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

 

The State Farm Home Run Derby is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (EDT).

 

Guerrero called the honor "a blessing from heaven."

 

"It's special," he said Thursday night, when West Virginia earned a 6-5 victory over visiting Asheville at Appalachian Power Park.

 

Also in the eight-man field with Fielder are Florida Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who is the defending champion.

 

Fielder leads the National League with 27 home runs. Howard and Cabrera have hit 20 and 17, respectively.

 

The other five contestants haven't been determined.

 

"My job is to serve up those steaks right there," said Guerrero, holding his right hand waist high.

 

Guerrero was Fielder's hitting coach at Class A Beloit (Wis.) in 2003, when the super-sized slugger won the Midwest League's Most Valuable Player award after hitting .313 with 27 homers, 81 runs and 112 RBI.

 

"I know him pretty well," said Guerrero, who also was selected to manage the Northern Division squad at last month's South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Rome, Ga. "He's a great guy. I want to thank him and everyone else for giving me this opportunity."

 

Guerrero will travel to San Francisco on Sunday and return to Charleston on Wednesday, when West Virginia is scheduled to begin a three-game homestand against Hickory.

[UeckerAddict]

A Washington Post Q&A from two years ago.

 

1. Can the Home Run Derby ruin a player's swing?

 

This is a subject of much debate for it seems every year a handful of players who participate in the derby wind up in horrible slumps as soon as the second half starts. This year seems to be no exception. Bobby Abreu, the Phillies outfielder who rewrote the Home Run Derby record book in winning the event has tumbled mightily in the days after the event.

 

Over his past seven games he is hitting .136 with 0 home runs, 2 RBI and five strikeouts. Milwaukee's Carlos Lee is hitting .160 with one home run and one RBI and five strikeouts. Jason Bay, the Pittsburgh outfielder who didn't hit any home runs in the Derby, is slumping at .185 with one home run and 2 RBI. So is Texas's Mark Teixeira, at .143 with 0 home runs and nine strikeouts in the past seven games.

 

Atlanta's Andruw Jones has been hitting well at .292 as has Detroit catcher Pudge Rodriguez, the home run contest runner-up, who has torn into the second half at .370 with two home runs.

 

According to Jim Powell, Lee claims that the HR Derby wrecked his swing. My concern is that those who do well in the 2nd half always seem to be veterans, with the exception of Ryan Howard.

[Paul77]

Any guesses as to who will be the last man added to tonights derby? I know Hardy said he wouldn't do it, but it seems MLB is scrambling to fill that last spot and he is on hand. His 18 hr's make him a legit choice.

 

Personally, I hope he's not in it. Whether or not it "messes" with your swing, I can't see JJ doing very well in this kind of contest.

 

I still think Bonds might step in and fill that last NL spot.