Home Run Derby

In Randy Johnson’s 20+ years of pitching, the Big Unit had never given up a Home Run to a pitcher.

That changed last night when Yovani Gallardo of the Milwaukee Brewers took Johnson deep for a game-winning 3-Run Home Run in San Francisco.

See Jason Kendall in that picture?  Johnson walked him to get to Gallardo. 

My wife loves it when a player gets a Home Run after the guy in front of him is intentionally walked. 

Her words “Intentional walks are for pansies.”

I love Jim Thome. 

I don’t have any rooting interest to be a fan - seeing as I’ve never been a fan of the Indians, Phillies, or (shudder) the White Sox.  But I always want that guy to do well.

And he usually does.

Yesterday, the White Sox were losing 2-1 to the Royals in the eighth inning.  Thome came up with two on.  Three Run Bomb. 

I was listening on the radio and just knew Thome was going to crush whatever junk Kyle Farnsworth threw near the plate.

He did. 

Here’s the video from a fan behind home plate …

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3,484 days. 

That’s how long it had been since we last saw Ken Griffey Jr. hit a  Home Run in a Seattle Uniform.

Leading off the top of the fifth inning in Minnesota, Griffey hit his 8th Opening Day Home Run (tying a record) to put the Mariners up 2-0.

Personally, Griffey just looks better in a Mariners uniform than a Reds kit.

It’s a new year of baseball, so it’s time to renew an old Home Run Derby tradition. 

It’s the return of HOME RUN OF THE DAY!!

HRD’s first 2009 Home Run of the Day (HRoD) goes to Jordan Schafer of the Atlanta Braves.  Schafer hit the Braves’ 3rd homer of the night to put them up 4-0 over the host Phillies … and cemented a win.  You remember Schafer – he was suspended 50 games in the Minor Leagues last season for using Human Growth Hormone.

Schafer gets the HRoD because it was his first Major League Home Run … and he hit it in his first Major League At-Bat.

Dear Jimmy Rollins,

I’m sorry I doubted you.

Sincerely,
Richie Rich
Homerderby.com

November 27, 2007 – Jimmy Rollins offered the following wisdom:

“We’ll win probably 100 games … 100 games will get us to the playoffs.

“There’s going to be fireworks, I know that much … and I plan on another celebration, but not just one.  I don’t plan on giving up that title of NL East champions, I know that much.” 

At the time, I said I admired Rollins’ confidence in his team, but I also thought the 2007 NL MVP Award was going to Rollins’ head.  It wasn’t even December of the offseason and Rollins was spouting off.

Then in February, when the New York Mets signed uber-pitcher Johan Santana, I said that Rollins would have a hard time backing up those words.  I said that Santana would steamroller the National League.

But when Rollins reported to Spring Training a few days later, he was just as confident …

“There isn’t a team in the National League that’s better than us,” Rollins said.

Well, the 100 regular season wins Rollins predicted didn’t come to pass, but the Phillies won the NL East again - despite the fact that Johan Santana pitched lights-out for the Mets all season. 

And last night, Rollins’ boast from Spring Training came true, as the 2008 NL East Champion Phillies became the 2008 NL Champion Phillies … thanks in no small part to a leadoff Home Run in Game 5 of the 2008 NLCS by … who else … Jimmy Rollins.

It’s one thing to make a preseason boast about your team … it’s another thing when you accomplish it. 

And now I’ve got to eat a Philly Cheese-Crow Sandwich.

One of these days I’m going to make a baseball prediction that comes true. Because that Red Sox Back-to-Back World Series Championship I predicted last October ain’t looking so good right now either.

We see London, we see France … we see Prince ’s Underpants!!

So last night, Prince Fielder hit a two-run Walk Off Home Run to beat the Pittburgh Pirates and kept the Milwaukee Brewers a mere one game behind the Mets in the race for the National League Wild Card (which they’re going to win).

As he rounded the bases, Fielder started untucking his shirt … which has become a victory celebration for the Brewers this season, as a tribute to teammate Mike Cameron’s working class dad (I learned that from the fabulous Uni Watch).

But as he untucked his shirt … Prince let everybody see his underwear.  Let’s tempt fate and zoom in on the waistline of baseball’s resident vegetarian fattie …

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Extra inning walk-off Home Runs rock. 

Yesterday, Mark Ellis provided some tenth-inning fireworks in Oakland as the A’s completed a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles.  With the score tied, Ellis - who had entered the game riding a .024 average in May - tagged the left field foul pole for the win.  The A’s moved to 22-14, tied for the most wins in MLB.

What the heck happened to the Orioles anyway?  On April 29th they were 15-11 and led the AL East by percentage points.  Since then they’ve gone 1-7, falling to 16-18 and 5 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East cellar.  Things move pretty fast – heck Cub fans are wondering if Brian Roberts is available again.

Yes, I know … someone will say that I should have given the HRoD to the Twins’ Carlos Gomez, who hit for the cycle yesterday against the White Sox – and I would have if his Home Run completed the cycle or really factored into a close game instead of the blowout that it was.  HRoD’s are better if there’s some drama attached to them.

David Dellucci, take a bow. 

Pinch-hitting is hard enough.  Sit on your duff for 7+ innings, get the notice that you are probably going to get at bat if the situation is right, go take a couple swings in the cage behind the dugout, swing the donut a bit, and go out there down by 1 run and 2 runners on and 2 out.

Oh, and you get to face Hank Steinbrenner’s favorite Yankee (but not Erin Andrews), Joba Chamberlain.  A single ties the game, but why not over-deliver?  Second pitch he sees … ding dong, the pitch is dead.  

And while Joba had a bad night last night, “his” team in the HRD, The Joba Rules, is building a nice cushion in our contest.  Through May 5th,  The Joba Rules had a seven Home Run cushion in the contest and was on the doorstep of breaking 100 Home Runs to date.

I think we might have found a new HRD whipping boy.

I promise we’re going to publish something other than HRoD posts one of these days.

But instead, we’ll go North of the Border, where Matt Stairs scored the only run of the Jays-White Sox ballgame last night in Toronto.

The Home Run put the finishing touches on the Blue Jays’ four-game sweep of the White Sox. 

Something tells me that the White Sox bats might come alive after this road trip.  And it has nothing to do with Ozzie’s Guillen’s rant or the Blow-Up Doll Shrine the Sox had in the locker room before Monday’s game.

It might have more to do with the fact that the Sox will no longer be playing indoors.  In nine games so far this season under a roof (and on artificial turf) the White Sox are 2-7 with six straight indoor losses … and their batting average is a simply horrendous .191.

That would be the lowest indoor batting average in MLB since at least 2000.  And the White Sox have eleven more games scheduled in domes this season (4 in Tampa, 7 in Minnesota). 

Mind you - the Mets are worse this year (.192 indoors) – but they’ve only played two games with the roof shut this season. 

Hey look- that kinda delved into something other than just an HRoD post!  Yay!

Really – work sucks right now.