Lost amidst all the hoopla regarding the MLB Home Run Derby lately, let’s not forget that we run a little contest here.
And we have a champion to announce. Not Justin Morneau … he won the real Home Run Derby even though Erin Andrews was more interested in Josh Hamilton.
BELICHOKE is your HomerDerby.com 2008 First Half Champion. Belichoke finished the First Half of the 2008 Season with 289 Home Runs and led the last nine weeks of the First Half. He only had two players with less than 15 Home Runs and eight with more than 20. And this was with two of his Group A Picks on the DL for the past month. The Home Run Derby Hall Of Fame has been updated.
We had to break out the rule book for second place. Because THE JOBA RULES and SUCK IT tied for the second-most HR with 282. We actually had to use the tiebreaker of AB/HR Ratio to settle the score. That’s the first time we’ve had to use that. Joba wins the Second Place kitty on the basis of a lower AB/HR ratio (17.73 to 18.53).
Suck It nearly knocked Joba down, gaining 10 Home Runs on Joba over the last week, but his 226 extra AB did him in. He still gets the 3rd Place Money. And he joins his brother in the HRD HOF - but he almost didn’t …
… because the leaderboard almost got shook the Hell up by the surging TEAM MINVAN (281 HR), who led the Deby for the second week in a row and the third time in five weeks. One more Home Run and Minivan’s 4th Place finish would have become a Second Place victory … breaking a three way tie with an astounding 17.07 AB/HR ratio.
So the First Half of the Derby is complete. But it’s not over. Because we’re already into the 2nd Half and everyone has new life.
Belichoke will look to be complete the first HRD Sweep in three years. But it won’t be easy … as the past two years, the First Half Champ has not won either the Second Half or Full Season Crown. And last year, the First Half Champ didn’t finish in the top three in either the Second Half or Full Season Standings.
Everyone in the Derby has a shot at the Second Half Crown, as we start at zero. Even last-place Go Yanks! can win the Second Half Title. Then again, maybe not.
Somehow I missed this in Home Run Derby’s Top MLB Promotions of 2008. I think it was because I excluded bobbleheads from the list.
But Friday Night (July 18) was Crazy Crab Bobblehead Night in San Francisco. Who’s Crazy Crab? Well, The Crab was a mascot the San Francisco Giants paraded out in 1984 as an anti-mascot to rival the recent influx of mascots into Major League Baseball.
Why an “anti-mascot” instead of a regular mascot? Well, then-Giants exec Pat Gallagher explains …
Our fans were too hip, too sophisticated and way too baseball oriented to put up with anything as stupid as a mascot.
And you wonder why San Francisco gets portayed as the Smug Capital of the World? It’s beacuse it’s true.
The fans would boo the Crab (when they weren’t throwing things at it), the players would abuse it with rosin bags and bats, and the Crab would give it right back on talk radio and taunt fans and management, even after it was retired in 1985 - barely a season after it had debuted.
But over the last decade, The Crab has seen a surge in popularity among fans.
Okay, I really shouldn’t have even titled this a Jersey of the Weekpost. I was looking for a good All-Star related jersey and simply couldn’t find one.
But it needed to be shared. And since JotW is Home Run Derby’s showcase for baseball fans’ creativity in Jersey and T-Shirt art … I thought it belonged.
Check out the hair on this Beer Vendor at the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.
Awesome.
That’s the famous Yankee Stadium frieze (in a modified 2008 All-Star Game Logo) and two stars with a 13 and a 2 inside of them for Yankee All-Stars Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, respectively. I’d guess there’s another star somewhere on that cranium with a 42 in it for Mariano Rivera.
All-Star Yankee Hair Rating
Cleverness: 10
Originality: 10
Understandability: 8
I wonder how much time that took. Does SuperCuts do that kind of work?
So during the opening pomp and circumstance before last night’s All-Star Game, the Living Hall of Famers at each position were in Yankee Stadium to greet the starting 2008 All-Stars as they were introduced to the crowd.
It was a great moment to see living legends from the Hall of Fame out there on the same field with the 2008 All-Stars.
But there was one glaring omission.
And it was at second base.
As Chase Utley and Dustin Pedroia came out during the introductions, they got to meet Hall of Fame Second Basemen Rod Carew, Bill Mazeroski, and Ryne Sandberg.
But not Joe Morgan.
Did Morgan develop another flareup of the dreaded disese Ryne-itis (also known as Sandberg Syndrome) wherein those afflicted can’t be anywhere near the man who broke Morgan’s HR record for Second Basemen? As you’ll recall, Joe Morgan was conspiculously absent at Sandberg’s Hall of Fame induction in 2005.
It’s not like Joe didn’t know how to get to Yankee Stadium … he was in the building the night before when he announced the 2008 Home Run Derby.
No, I think this is just another case of Joe Morgan not wanting to share ANY stage with Ryne Sandberg.
It’s a shame when the Vice-Chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame doesn’t show up for events like this if Sandberg is there.
It perpetuates the belief that Morgan’s putting himself before the game for personal reasons … even if that’s not the reason.
Update: We have learned Joe Morgan was a participant in the All-Star Parade before the Game, so it’s not as if he left New York after the Home Run Derby.
Parade Hat Tip - the not awful Awful Announcing, who agrees with HRD that Joe Morgan is ducking Sandberg.
Tonight’s All-Star Game (the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium) is sure to be packed with great moments. Yoou’ll probably be able to choke on the Yankkee Stadium Tributes
Here’s a look back at some of the best Home Runs in All-Star Game History.
The First - Babe Ruth
July 6, 1933 - Comiskey Park, Chicago IL
The First All-Star Game was held as part of the 1933 world’s Fair in Chicago. In a game chock full of future Hall of Famers, there was only one player who should have (and did) hit the first ever All-Star Home Run. The Bambino, Babe Ruth.
In the 3rd inning, Cardinals SP Bill Hallahan likely grooved a pitch that ended up as a two-run shot for the Babe. Why’d I say he grooved it? Here’s Hallahan about the game …
“We wanted to see the Babe. Sure, he was old and had a big waistline, but that didn’t make any difference. We were on the same field as Babe Ruth.” - Wild Bill Hallahan
And Why Not? It was an exhibition. It’s not like Home-Field in the World Series depended on the Game.
If you know the name of this blog, you’ll know that we here at Home Run Derby LOVE the Home Run Derby. It’s the most wonderful day of the year.
The best thing about the MLB Home Run Derby is that it’s all just fun.
No pretentiousness about the sanctity of the game.
No forced urgency about home-field advantage during the World Series.
Heck, even the incoherent ramblings of Chris Berman and Joe Morgan on ESPN can’t ruin Home Run Derby for me.
But if you can’t stand the ESPN telecast… maybe you need a little something to take the edge off … like Home Run Derby’s Second Annual Home Run Derby Drinking Game!!
We did this last year for the Home Run Derby in San Francisco and it was so much fun I had to call in sick the next day. My arm hurt from raising my glass so much.
I’m always in need of a day off from work … so let’s do it again !!
Short Version
Put 911 on speed dial
Take a drink every time Chris Berman says “Back” as in “Back-Back-Back”
Take a drink every time Joe Morgan says something stupid.
For the past 10 years …
… you simply couldn’t spell Home Run Derby without a D and an R.
As in Dominican Republic.
At least one player from the Dominican has participated in the Derby every season since 1998. And a player from the Dominican has been in the Home Run Derby Final for six of the last eight seasons, winning three Derby titles … including last season.
Vlad Guerrero - 2000, 2007. David Ortiz - 2004, 2005, 2006. Miguel Tejada - 2004, 2006. Albert Pujols - 2003, 2007. Sammy Sosa - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004. Alex Rodriguez (dual DR/US citizenship) - 1998, 2001-2.
And either Manny Ramirez or Pedro Martinez have been there every year, waving little (or big) Dominican flags when their countrymen are up to bat.
But with the 2008 Home Run Derby roster consisting of seven Americans (Evan Longoria, Josh Hamilton, Grady Sizemore , Lance Berkman, Ryan Braun, Dan Uggla, and Chase Utley) and one Canadian (Justin Morneau) … there will be NO representation from the Dominican Republic in the Home Run Derby for the first time since 1997.
Heck … there’s no one from South of the Border this year.
So that means we won’t see anyone waving the Dominican flag during Derby at-bats this year. At least not anyone who has any reason to wave it.
There are nine Dominican All-Star position players in 2008. David Ortiz, Alfonso Soriano, Manny Ramirez, Aramis Ramirez, Hanley Ramirez, Cristian Guzman, Albert Pujols, Miguel Tejada, and Alex Rodriguez. Ortiz and Soriano are injured and will not play in the ASG.
And on an unrelated note … the Derby is almost entirely lily-white and bereft of African-Americans as well. Grady Sizemore is half African American.
So this afternoon, it was a hot one at Wrigley Field as the Cubs beat the Giants 3-1.
Temperature was in the mid-eighties, humidity in the 50-60% range - it probably felt closer to 90 degrees. It’s enough to make a kid sitting in the front row at Wrigley really dehydrated.
Better drink something kid …
… wait a minute … is that a beer?
That’s not Water or Pepsi or Mountain Dew.
That looks like a beer cup to me. And that looks like beer in that beer cup. That kid’s in the wrong section … the bleachers are in the outfield, dude.
What do you think?
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If it’s not beer - what is it?
Is it a big deal if he is?
Continuing Home Run Derby’s quest to find the most unique and creative personalized baseball Jerseys/shirts we can find … we’ll stay in Dodger Stadium for a second week with a slightly more disturbing Jersey of the Week.
Apparently … The Devil is a Dodgers fan.
Frankly, I’m a little surprised. I totally had the Prince of Darkness pegged as a Yankee fan. Maybe he’s a Joe Torre fan and followed him to LA. Or maybe ol’ Satan got a little disenfranchised when the Tampa Bay Rays changed their name from “Devil Rays” and started winning baseball games.
I’m kinda even more surprised that MLB would allow “SATAN” as a name on a Customized Authentic (or Replica - I can’t tell) Jersey.
Mind you, you can’t get “666” as a number through the MLB.com shop. I guess you gotta know someone to be able to pull that off. Or put it on. Take your pick.
SATAN 66 Jersey Rating:
Cleverness: 6
Originality: 6
Understandability: 6
The Jersey loses points because it’s missing the third 6.
This really shouldn’t shock anyone, seeing as how fundamentalist preachers have been telling us that Los Angeles is a pit of sin for years. And Dodgers uber-fan Alyssa Milano once played a Vampire in a movie, didn’t she?
BELICHOKE is your HomerDerby.com 2008 First Half Champion. Belichoke finished the First Half of the 2008 Season with 289 Home Runs and led the last nine weeks of the First Half. He only had two players with less than 15 Home Runs and eight with more than 20. And this was with two of his Group A Picks on the DL for the past month. The Home Run Derby Hall Of Fame has been updated.
Somehow I missed this in Home Run Derby’s 
The fans would boo the Crab (when they weren’t throwing things at it), the players would abuse it with rosin bags and bats, and the Crab would give it right back on talk radio and taunt fans and management, even after it was retired in 1985 - barely a season after it had debuted. 
Okay, I really shouldn’t have even titled this a 
So during the opening pomp and circumstance before last night’s All-Star Game, the Living Hall of Famers at each position were in Yankee Stadium to greet the starting 2008 All-Stars as they were introduced to the crowd.
The First - Babe Ruth
For the past 10 years …
So this afternoon, it was a hot one at Wrigley Field as the Cubs beat the Giants 3-1. 
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