Slugfest of the all-stars: Home Run Derby 2011 tonight at Chase Field
With the State Farm Home Run Derby set
for later tonight at Chase Field in Phoenix, American League captain
David Ortiz looks to carry his squad to victory in what has become a
brand-new derby format.
Each
league will have one captain -- last year's champion, Ortiz, for the AL
and Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, the 2009 Home Run Derby
champion for the NL. Both captains then choose an additional three
players to fill out their roster.
This
year, an individual and a team champion will be crowned in the
first-ever head-to-head matchup between the AL and the NL. In years past
the derby has featured a slew of players from both leagues, each one
vying for the Home Run Derby title. What makes this a much better system
is the teammwork required to win. And for those who are still hell-bent
on the old-school format, have no fear. Once a team champion is
announced, the player who knocks the most balls out of the park will be
christened the new champion.
The
AL squad includes Adrian Gonzalez; the major-league leader in RBI with
77, Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista, and Yankees second baseman
Robinson Cano. Bautista has a major-league-leading 31 home runs. Cano is
hitting .296 with 15 home runs through 87 games.
In
addition to power-hitting first baseman Prince Fielder, the NL team
features Fielder's teammate, Rickie Weeks (17 HR), and outfielders Matt
Kemp of the Dodgers (22 HR) and Matt Holliday of the Cardinals (14 HR).
Fielder, also with 22 HR this year, is batting .297 through 92 games.
Incumbent
champion Big Papi picked a deserving group of players to represent the
his league this year. Two of those guys stand out - Bautista and Gonzalez. The Blue Jays recognized their star outfielder as an All-Star talent when they signed him in 2008 - reminiscent
of the Ortiz signing in 2003 by the Red Sox. In his first season with
the Sox, Gonzalez has 128 hits, 214 total bases, and 29 doubles - leading
the majors in those three categories. Boston fans, its hard not to be
excited about this guy. I haven't seen anyone hit like him since Ted
Williams. He is a true five-tool player. And did I mention he is a
two-time Gold Glove winner? Pair him with Bautista and you have two of
the most feared hitters in baseball in the same lineup.
To
make things more interesting for this year's derby challenge, Major
League Baseball will make a $150,000 donation to the winning captain's
charity of choice along with a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls
Club of America (BGCA). The losing team will receive a $25,000 donation
- made to the charity of its captains choice.
The
remaining donation amount will be determined by how many long balls are
clocked into the stands during the competition. When a hitter is down
to his last out, a partial 24-karat Gold Ball will be used for every
pitch thereafter. Gold Ball home runs are worth $18,000 (a dollar for
each of the 18,000 State Farm agents in the US and Canada). The
resulting gold ball total will be donated to BGCA on behalf of State
Farm and MLB.
The
2011 home run slugfest is going to be more competitive this year
because these guys want to play like it's the All-Star game, which
determines home-field advantage in the World Series. The winner of the
contest holds bragging rights for the rest of the season. Tune in to the
derby starting tonight at 8 pm.