Comments on: 2008 Home Run Derby

By: Ernie

Ernie — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:24:20 +0000

yeah, holy shit. who needs dunn, when you have hamilton. i mean, I knew the guy could hit, I just didnt know he was such a beast. I think he topped out at 518ft. Here I thought this was going to be a terrible home run derby, but, these guys surprised me, especially Sizemore. He definately hit his fair share of moonshots.

By: Bill Baer

Bill Baer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:49:03 +0000

Wow. Josh Hamilton just broke Bobby Abreu’s Home Run Derby record of 24 HR in a round. He finished with 28.

Abreu still holds the record for the most hit in an entire Derby with 41, but Hamilton still has two rounds left.

By: Ernie

Ernie — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:01:47 +0000

I like when he said that Grady Sizemore was fighting on the swing he took, as it sailed past the upper deck in right. When informed of it, he said “where did it go”? Which only proves FJM’s point, that he does not, in fact, actually watch games.

By: Bill Baer

Bill Baer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:55:49 +0000

Rarely will I agree with Joe Morgan but I think he was right in saying that Utley was too conscious of over-swinging. Let’s hope that the next four don’t hit more than 5.

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:43:45 +0000

Yea I agree Dunn would crush these guys, he might not get a hit but he is the most powerful slugger in the game

By: MoonDog

MoonDog — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:07:05 +0000

Bill, you are correct about Berkman in Houston. That’s why I believe he’ll hit from the left in Yankee Stadium.

The power alley in left is quite a hefty distance and even though the line in left is 318 as you pointed out, it’s more common for the right handed hitters to stroke it towards the alley.

I think it’s safe to say the winner will be someone hitting from the left.

By: Bill Baer

Bill Baer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:46:07 +0000

Ernie, good points. I’ve been dying to see Dunn in a Derby and have been disappointed each year. It’s a shame that so many people view batting average as the holy grail of statistics.

John, there’s no doubt in my mind that what the players are saying about Hamilton is true, if a bit exaggerated, but I’d be remiss to say that these are the same type of Major Leaguers who voted Jason Varitek into the All-Star Game.

By: John G

John G — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:35:12 +0000

judging from what i have heard around the league about the shows that josh hamilton puts on in batting practice, i gotta believe this is his night. they say that no one in the game can hit the ball as hard or as far as he can, and this is comming from his peers around the league who watch him and play against him. this will be his first time and all eyes will be on him so if he can control his nerves, and just relax and do what he does every day in batting practice then none of the other contestants will be able to put up much of a fight. go get em hammer!

By: Ernie

Ernie — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:04:25 +0000

Even though he had that power outage in the second half of 05, Abreu at least still got on base like a MOFO. You can also cherry pick Mark Mcgwire. Before the All Star game he was hitting .266/.422/.606, and after he bombed, like, 25 home runs in the derby, he hit even better, with a line of
.293/.426/.810. I guess my point is, it affects some people, and others not so much. Still dreaming of a derby with Adam Dunn. Probably never going to happen, though. Because people are still hung up on batting average.

By: Bill Baer

Bill Baer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:09:53 +0000

Moon, Berkman hit from the right side in one of the HRD’s. It was probably when it was in Houston because of the short porch in left field.

Berkman hasn’t fared too well in two of his three previous Derby appearances. In 2002, he had one dinger; in 2006, he had three.

He had 21 total and went up against then future teammate Miguel Tejada in the finals in ’04 when it was in Houston.