Sunday, July 15, 2007

Review of the 2007 Home Run Derby

I'm gonna take this opportunity to spout off about how bad the Home Run Derby was this year. I'm a big fan of the Derby and always have enjoyed it more than the actual all-star game (Joe and I went to the Derby in Pittsburgh last year if you recall). This year's was unbearable, for quite a few reasons.

1. The first round - The first round was pathetic, nobody hit more than 5 home runs. This huge lineup with bonafide sluggers (much bigger hitters than the past two years where Jason Bay and Troy Glaus were hitting) like Vlad, Howard, Pujols and Fielder can only muster a combined 15 home runs between them with 40 outs to do it? It was terrible.

2. Barry Bonds - What ridiculous tripe everything that comes out of this man's mouth is. He talked for what seemed like 15 minutes about shit that nobody cares about when Pujols, the biggest name in the field was batting and you couldn't even pay attention to him. I don't know how many people outside of San Francisco care about Barry and his record-chasing. But I might sooner hear more about Paris Hilton's jail time at this point. I can't wait for it to go away.

3. Splash Zone - this was the most dissapointing thing in my mind. HR's fly into McCovey cove with ease, seemingly at least 1 per MLB game played in SF. A big fat fucking zero Homers landed in the cove during the event. After all the ridiculous hype and the logo for the game featuring the wet ball, and the big emblam in center field featuring the wet ball. They, ESPN and The Giants, have to be crushed. There were more Homers into the river in Pittsburgh last year (which is MUCH furter away from home plate) than there were into the cove this year. Someone should have had their pitcher prepared to throw them inside (or outside) pitches so they could turn on them and take advantage of the right-field wall.

4. Duration - It's an exhibition, it went 3+ hours, that's longer than a freaking MLB regular season game. It went entirely too long.

5. Drama - more like "lack of drama". Nobody wants to see a bigtime slugger going against Alex Rios in the finals. Especially nobody wants to see Vlad have to hit a measely 3 Home Runs in the finals because Rios laid an anemic egg by hitting 2.

6. The fat latino contigent that waved flags and toweled off the hispanic players. Where the hell are the border patrol at, take these pudwacks out of the stadium in handcuffs. They were on tv more than the players. Who decided that it's ok for them to interrupt players turns by toweling them off in between outs? Then they mobbed Vlad after he hit two home runs in the finals thinking that he'd won because nobody in Venezuela can do simple math apparently. Berman was obviously annoyed and for once he and I were exactly on the same page. Shitty.

So, Overall, not too good, not too good at all. As much as i'm no longer a Kenny Maines fan, having him out in the bay was a good idea (that they then ripped off during the allstar game - which also was boring). Berman finally learned that you can't say "Back back back" for every home run, and well, i can't think of another positive thing to say. Jeers to the Home Run Derby and ESPN's telecast of it.

Oh, it did look lovely in HD. There's one good thing.

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