Home Run Derby

Yesterday, there were 26 Home Runs in the Majors including 2 grand slams hit by teammates (thank Joe Crede and Paul Konerko) and the first of the season hit by my countryman, Nick Markakis.

Gabe Kapler continues his improbable comeback with #4 and the Deadman hits his third for the team from Queens.  Gee, there are just so many great Home Runs to choose from, but here at Home Run Derby, we like to take the road less travelled (not to mention beating a dead horse to “death”).

So today, in honor of team WeisOne, we select Clint Barmes as the recipient of Home Run of the Day. 

Good thing the only stairs Clint had to negotiate yesterday were in the three steps into the dugout.  It was Clint’s first Home Run since July 24, 2006 when he hit one off St. Louis Cardinal Josh Hancock at Coors Field. 

Welcome Back.

To those of you lost in the tongue in cheek nature of this selection, Clint Barmes is our HRD whipping boy all at the expense of the team owner of WeisOne in our contest.  Back a few years ago, before Richie created this site, we were a dozen or so guys who all worked together, having some fun with the excel sheet managed contest. 

Back then, a lot of smack talk was engaged through email threads and Mr. WeisOne went on record that Clint Barmes (as a rookie) was a better all-around shortstop than Derek Jeter (this explains this site’s focus on Jeter who clearly is not a Home Run Hitter).  It lead the Greek, who can not stand the Yankees, to take up Jeter as his team mascot and subject of many posts, not to mention years of ridicule for the WeisOne by Yankee and non-Yankee fans alike. 

So, Clint, welcome back to the team.  Enjoy the highlight and the honor.  I don’t think it means we will let go of the whipping boy status, but hey, what do you expect from a juvenile 36 year old baseball fan?

Update:  Here is the email that started it all.

—–Original Message—–

From: WeisOne 

Sent:   Thursday, April 21, 2005 11:12 AM

To:      HRD

Subject:           RE: HRD News - 4/21/05  

Come on guys. Look at the stats the Best SS in baseball right now is Barmes from Colorado. Jeter doesn’t even measure up to this guy

The funny thing the original thread was about Nomar’s groin injury when he was with the Cubs.  But hey, it gets even better:

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Home Run Derby continues the analysis of 2008 Interleague Schedules, compared by Division. 

So far we’ve seen that the Cubs have a clear advantage in the NL Central and the East is sorted out according to competiveness.

In 2008, the NL West is matched up against the AL Central.  Or is it?

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2007 was a banner year for Milestone Home Runs in Baseball.

• The 300 Home Run Club got a new member .
• Three players joined the 500 Home Run Club, the most ever in a single season.
• The 600 Home Run Club got a new member for only the fifth time in MLB History.
• And the all-time MLB Home Run record was surpassed. It had stood at 755 Home Runs for more than 31 years.

Let’s take a quick look back at those milestone dingers from the 2007 season … with video, of course …

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Whoever the National League MVP is this season, somebody’s gonna get screwed.

Because there’s two guys who absolutely deserve it.  Jimmy Rollins and Matt Holliday.  Both these guys were linchpins in their respective teams’ unbelievable late-September runs for the playoffs.

Jimmy Rollins with the Phillies, who won the NL East after having trailed the New York Mets by 6.5 games with just over two weeks to go in the season.

Matt Holliday with the Rockies, who won 13 of their last 14 regular season games just to force a playoff for the NL Wildcard spot.

Which they won, thanks to Matt Holliday’s winning run on a controversial headfirst slide into home plate in extra innings.

Both players had career seasons.

Both players were undisputed leaders on their teams.

But I think Matt Holliday will win the National League MVP.

Why?

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Everybody loves it when big fat guys take off their shirts and dance at baseball games. Remember the big Oriole Fan who was ridin’ dirty a few months ago?

But Colorado Rockies fans (and their ticket brokers) need to learn an important lesson of having a successful sports team. Sometimes you have to act like you’ve been there before.

The following video is proof that the Rockies had never been to a World Series. The Yankees or Cardinals wouldn’t do this …

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Remember last week, when Joe Buck told Conan O’Brien that he would say “Jub-Jub” during a World Series telecast for him after Conan offered to give $1,000 to Buck’s favorite charity?

It didn’t take Buck very long to do it.

In the the bottom of the third inning of Game One of the World Series between the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox … Joe Buck dropped the Jub …

“Our own little Jub-Jub, Chris Myers”

I hope Myers has some say about which charity that grand is gonna go. Because he’s going to be known around his radio show and the sports blogosphere as Jub-Jub for a while.

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The World Series is set. 

The Rox versus the Sox. 

Yet another expansion team versus the new Yankees.

Joe Buck is gonna say “Jub Jub”

Home Run Derby presents our predictions for the 2007 Fall Classic. 

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I got nothing today.  Something good is in the works, but it ain’t ready yet.

So here’s some places to spend your surfing time.

• Roger Clemens cost the New York Yankees $24,766,578 this season.  Was it worth it?
• Speaking of the Yankees’ pocketbook, they’ve spent over a Billion dollars since their last World Championship seven years ago.
• There’s no crying in the press box.
• The Yankees have some fun Hotel psuedonyms.
• Last Yankees link - The Yankees don’t seem to win the World Series when Don Mattingly is around.
• This is the first postseason for the Humidor at Coors Field.
• Ivan Rodriguez will be back with the Tigers next season … for $13 Million.
• George Steinbrenner might replace Joe Torre with Tony LaRussa.
• The Rockies’ farm system is paying off
• Cubs fans knew how bad a broadcaster Chip Caray is.  Now everyone else does.
• Peeing in the bleachers is not limited to men.
• Mark Cuban, Bleacher Bum.
• Okay I lied, there was one more Yankee link.  Video actually …

Here’s video of Colorado Rockies’ closer Manny Corpas doing a little something something to his shirt before going out to put away the Phillies.

He spills something on his shirt in the bullpen, then goes out and rubs his hand on his shirt before fiddling with the dirt (or resin bag) on the mound before throwing the ball.

It will be very interesting to see if Corpas has the same effectiveness if he gets into the game today.  It might be more interesting to see/hear what Philly Phans will be chanting.