Home Run Derby

Home Run Derby was ranked 22nd on Juiced Sports’ list of the Most Influential Sports Bloggers.  Does that mean people actually read this site?

All jokes aside, you should click that link and read that list.  I can’t argue with the top ten and it’s a great list from top to bottom.

I’d have thought that HRD should have been ranked much lower and I’m truly flattered to be listed in the top 25.

Thanks to everyone who’s ever stopped by HRD.  Thanks for reading.

Rich

Unlike both the American League and the National League, I think I can call who’s winning our Home Run Debry contest.  The Great Hambino has a seven Home Run lead over Master-Batters, and that should be enough to say he’s clinched the Derby.

Here’s who’s a going concern. 

Still a four-way race for second and third place in the full year board.  Let’s break down the differnces between the top five in the full year race.

Remember, if there’s a playoff on Monday with a postseason berth at stake, any Home Runs hit in the game(s) will count towards our Derby standings. 

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The New York Mets are in a tailspin …

On the morning of September 14, they were 83-62 and had a comfortable six and a half game lead over the 77-69 Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. 

However, over the last two weeks, the Mets compiled a record of 4-10 (while the Phillies have gone 10-3) and now the NL East is tied with only three games to go.  It almost seems inevitable that only one New York team (the Yankees) will be in the playoffs this season.

In that span, there’s only been one good bit of press coming out of Shea … that the Mets’ mascot, Mr. Met, was named to the Mascot Hall of Fame. 

On September 14.  The Mets were immediately swept by the Phillies and they haven’t been the same since.

Is it a coincidence? 

Or did Mr. Met and the Mets’ fans efforts to get their beloved mascot into the Mascot Hall of Fame rob the Mets of all the mojo they had in 2007?  Is all the karma now gone?

You’ve got to wonder.

It’s been a pretty excruciating week to be a fan of the Chicago Cubs.

But it’s turned out to be a worse week if you’re a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Cubs started the week with things looking pretty rosy in the quest for the 2007 National League Central championship.

• A three and a half game lead over a mini-slumping Brewers team.
• A day of rest on Monday.
• Six games against also-rans Florida (66-90) and Cincinnati (71-85).
• A magic number of four.

Then things started to look up for the Brewers …

• The Brewers won on Monday. Down to a three game lead.
• The Cubs lost on Tuesday and the Brewers won. Down to a two game lead.
• The mighty Deadspin tried to jinx the Cubs, showing off some pre-printed Cubs World Series tickets.
• Cubs NL Central Champion T-Shirts are found on MLB.com. Uh-oh - Jinx? Nah, there were Brewers shirts too.
• The Cubs lose on Wednesday and Thursday and get swept by the Marlins.
• All tied up, right? Down to one game?

Wrong. Because the Brewers couldn’t win. On Wednesday, St. Louis took a beaning of Albert Pujols and rammed it up the Brewers’ Poo-Holes. And then on Thursday the Brewers committed five errors in losing to a playoff contending Padres team.

The Chicago Cubs are going to win the National League Central. Why?

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Besides the Home Run, one of my favorite things in baseball is when a player strikes out or pops out and gets so frustrated that he takes his anguish and fury out on … his bat.

By breaking it over his leg.  Hey, it’s not your fault if you couldn’t hit that pitch that took the hair off a worm crawling a foot outside of the plate - that bat must have had a hole in it …

It’s not easy to do, but Bo Jackson was a natural at it.  And with his Rob Deer-like batting philosophy, he got lots of chances after strikeouts.

The late Ken Caminiti was always photogenic during his bat breakings - maybe he had some rage issues from the steroids.

But in recent years, the fiery Carlos Zambrano has become the poster child for breaking bats after striking out.  The fact that he’s a pitcher makes his antics even better.

Here’s a few videos I could find of some players who have some faulty bats …

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If you look hard enough, you can find the 2007 Division Championship T-Shirts over at MLB.com.  Well, that’s no surprise, as the Angels and Indians have already clinched …

What?  They’ve got shirts up for teams who haven’t clinched yet? 

Yep.  Until they discover we’ve discovered them (Mets link is down already).  

National League Central (Cubs or Brewers)

I just jinxed my Cubbies by posting that pic, didn’t I? 

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As the MLB Regular season is coming to a close, so is our little Home Run Derby contest.

And we have a Race.  The Great Hambino (490 HR)seems to a have a comfortable lead of six Home Runs over The Master-Batters (484 HR), but it’s not a lock.

A mere five Home Runs separate 2nd Place (484 HR) from 5th Place (479 HR), so the race for 2nd and 3rd places should be tight until the final game of the year.  Empire of Dirt, Triple Crown, and Suck It will be watching the scorecards all weekend.

And the Second Half contest hasn’t been decided yet either.  Empire of Dirt (236 HR )has a 5-Home Run lead over Hambino (231 HR). Third Place is a tie (227 HR) between Suck It and Bash Brothers. 

Some links …

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The first round is drawing to a close …

Let’s finish up the Critter Bracket with some mascots who were made to run.

#1 The Racing Sausages (Brewers) vs. #8 Rangers Captain (Rangers)

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The Mascot brackets continue with a matchup of one of the best … and one of the worst.  From the Mammal Division …

#2 Stomper (Oakland A’s) vs. #7 D. Baxter the Bobcat (Arizona Diamondbacks)

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