Home Run Derby

Derby Contest Standings are updated, so here’s a Monday Morning Quickie:

FULL SEASON:  Team Minivan and Belichoke are tied for the lead with 391 Home Runs.  In case you’re wondering, Minivan owns the AB/HR Tiebreaker and it’s not close (16.96 to 17.70).  Sultans of Swat and Herby’s Heroes are tied for 3rd Place with 385 HR.  Sultans own the Tiebreaker - but it’s really close (17.86 to 17.88). 

2ND HALF:  Team Minivan and Russellmania are tied for the lead with 110 Home Runs - Russellmania holds the tiebreaker (16.46 to 16.69).  Poker Pals and Croatian Sensation are tied for 3rd Place with 109 HR (Poker Pals hold the tiebreaker 16.31 to 16.92). 

In other news … Fredbird defeated Pirate Parrot 105-90 in Mascot Brackets. 

• Nick the Greek will love this:  The Nationals are the most consistent team in Baseball.  I expect a follow-up post from Nick.
• Check out Kevin Millar’s Hitler-style Moustache at Mister Irrelevant.
• Last week it was the three ball walk.  Now it’s the five-ball walk.
• Land of Dave Corzine wonders if AJ Pierzynski is the best cheater in MLB History. 

And we’re back from vacation … time for a standings update.

Team Minivan (376 HR) wrested the full-season lead away from Belichoke (374 HR), but this seems like it’s going to go the way of a pennant race … down to the wire.  Mind you - now that I said that, one (or both) of them will tank the rest of the season.  Herby’s Heros is waiting for that drop-off, mired in 3rd place at 368 HR.

Russellmania had the best week last week (26 HR) and rode it to the lead in the Second Half standings with 98 HR.  Evil Toast drops to second place with 96 HR, just ahead of Team Minivan (95 HR).

Some reading as we get out from under a mountain of e-mail, voicemail, and company reorganization talk …

• Goat Riders of the Apocalypse recalls how bad it was for Cub fans a mere two years ago
• Big League Stew uncovers the three-ball walk issued to Coco Crisp
• Hugging Harold Reynolds wonders why the US Women’s Softball team doesn’t get more ink
• Epic Carnival thinks it’s not fun to cheer against the Yankees anymore.  Bull.
• Walk off Walk tells you that Reds fans have finally lost it

And here’s your video du jour.  If you catch a batting prctice ball in your beer cup … you gotta chug it.

Even though the rest of the interweb already posted it … Lion in Oil found it first.

The Home Run Derby Standings have been updated. 

In the Second Half chase, new faces rule the leaderboard. 

Led by the awesomely named Evil Toast, who leads the 2nd season with 66 Home Runs.  The Croatian Sensation (65 HR) trails ET by a single HR with the 62-HR triumverate of the Quebec Nordiques, Snowmashers, and GLUCK FU! in third place. 

For the big money, Belichoke is back in the overall lead with 437 Home Runs.  He’s followed by Team Minivan (342 HR), and Sultans of Swat (337). 

Sultan will have a hard time holding off five teams right on his heels. 

Some Friday reading for you:

• Extra Mustard has the top 25 Must-See Videos for Sports Fans (AWESOME)
• Big League Stew has a special guest writer for the Morning Juice recap
• Red Sox Monster reviews the new Backyard Baseball Video Game
• Epic Carnival has some bad news about Derek Jeter
• The Zoner wonders what the heckhappened to Joe Torre

And it looks like the Nat-o-Sphere came through … as their Racing Presidents are gonna trounce the Swingin’ Friar in the 2nd Round of Mascot Brackets, barring a late comeback from the Pad Squad.  A new Mascot Showdown will be live on Monday. 

Until then … I’ve got a great seat for the ballgame tonight.

Standings are updated.

If the first two weeks of the second half of our Home Run Derby contest are any indication of the rest of the season … this is gonna be interesting.

Team Minivan (317 HR) continued his midseason surge and is in a first place tie for the full season lead and has the second half lead (36 HR) all to himself.  91 Home Runs over the last 3.5 weeks is just crazy. 

Belichoke (317 HR) kept pace for the full season lead, but now trails Minivan due to the AB/HR tiebreaker.  Suck It (313 HR) held his full-season spot in Third Place.

The second half standings are full of newcomers to the leaderboard.  Trailing the aforementioned Team Minivan (36 HR) are Crestmont Crushers (34 HR) and the Quebec Nordiques (33 HR). 

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.

A quick look at the standings … deserves an update.

It’s the week before the All-Star Game, which means it’s the weekend before the First Half prizes in homerderby.com’s 2008 Home Run Derby contest First Half are won (or lost) … and the leaderboard is up for grabs.

Belichoke (284 HR) has moved into a semi-comfortable 6-HR lead over second place The Joba Rules (278 HR).  But look out - because here comes Suck It (276 HR), who’s tallied a Derby-leading 21 HR in four days this week, picking up 9 HR on Joba and making second place the hot race this weekend.  Suck It displaced Herby’s Heroes (274 HR) for third place.

Standings have been updated …

Even with two weeks to go in the first half of the Derby and only a six-Homer lead … I’m going to officially call the 2008 Home Run Derby 1st Half Championship for Belichoke (248 HR).

Why?  Because The Joba Rules (242 HR) just lost Magglio Ordonez and Chipper Jones (not official yet) to the DL.  In fact, I’d say that Joba’s in trouble over the next two weeks as Suck It (239 HR) looks to poised to move out of third place.

This week, Strutter (217 HR, T-24th) led all teams with 21 HR thanks to 3-HR weeks by David Wright, Mark Teixeria, and Rick Ankiel. 

We’re done with Interleague play - so the designated hitters get to play all the time again (more on that later) which could be a boost for some teams. 

Wait … he updated the standings?  Made an update post?  What the hell?  Quarterly Financial Outlooks and Family Vacations come first, people.

Anyway … There are a mere three weeks to go until the All-Star Break and that means there’s only a mere three weeks to go until three fortunate players in our little Home Run Derby secure some payouts …

Belichoke is your Home Run Derby pacesetter with 236 Home Runs.  That’s six straight weeks Belichoke has led the Derby … which means it’s been six straight weeks that The Joba Rules has been in second place.  Joba keeps hanging around with 227 HR.  Third place is currently held by Suck It (225 HR).

I wouldn’t call Belichoke’s 1st Half lead insurmountable … but he’s averaged a seven-HR lead the past six weeks and no one seems to be able to post a sufficent charge to threaten the lead.  Second and third place are another story as there are eight teams within 9 HR of second place.

One of those is the hottest team in the Derby (literally and figuratively) - Annimals.  She led all teams this week with 26 HR and becomes the first team to win two weeks this season.  She’s also led all teams the past three weeks (59 HR), averaging just under 20 HR a week.

This update is a couple days late - sorry about that.

We have a new team atop the Home Run Derby contest leaderboard … as Belichoke (139 HR) jumped from 4th place to the top spot after a 35-HR week.  That’s the most HR in a week since $25 Down the Drain did it in week two of 2006.  The Joba Rules (135 HR) fell to second place but maintained a comfortable lead over Oaktags (127 HR). 

Second-best weeks went to Gluck Fu and Suck It with 29 HR.  Gluck and Suck moved up into 4th and 6th Place.  Worst week went to Blockheads and Ryan Express with 10 HR each.  Good news for our resident bottom-feeder Go Yanks! who had 17 HR this week -  that’s the same number of HR he tallied in the previous three weeks.

Stud of the week

Alfonso Soriano

Seven Home Runs.  And that was in six games (he failed to go long on Sunday).  Soriano catapulted Belichoke into the top spot and moved a number of the 13 teams who took him into contention.

Who’s Hot

• Ryan Braun (6 HR) - Hey look!  One of Milwaukee’s big bats woke up.  And got PAID.
• Lance Berkman (4 HR) - Was batting .399 after Sunday too.  Move over Chipper?
• Adam Dunn (4 HR) - Dunn can’t wait to face the Indians again.  He batted .400 with 3 HR against them.