2010 All-Star Festivities and Game Thread

[TeixeiraFanatic]

6 of the 8 players in the HR Derby have been announced. The 6 being Robinson Cano, Miguel Cabrera, David Ortiz, Vernon Wells, Corey Hart, and last but not least Matt Holliday. There is still 2 players from the NL to be announced.

What do you guys think? I can't believe Jose Bautista isn't in it and Matt Holliday is.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100706&content_id=11987902&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[Blzer]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

A lot of players fear that the Home Run Derby will ruin their swing, and I don't doubt them. Albert Pujols isn't performing this year for that very reason. Pujols is a line drive hitter that happens to hit home runs, not a "home run hitter" like Prince Fielder is, who gives his ball natural lift by upper-cutting his swing. Pujols didn't fare the best in last year's Derby because he was hitting flat line drives a lot, not getting much lift on his balls unless he backspinned them, which is tough when the slow pitches let gravity bring the ball down to the middle of his bat. This might be why Bautista isn't in the HRD, because he doesn't want it to mess with his swing.

I don't know if a guy like Corey Hart will fare very well in this thing. I mean Hart isn't small, but look at guys like Brandon Inge and Chase Utley. Their home runs are supplied by the pitcher's fastball. I must admit that I don't watch Hart every day, but from what I've seen he uses his legs and drives off the speed of the pitch to get behind his home runs. Guys like Ortiz and Cabrera have massive arm strength to drive through those BP pitches. I fear Cano won't do well unless he gets his pitcher to throw to him well, because I don't think Cano will be able to handle the outside pitches and take them to center field or the other way with much authority. He'll have to pull his balls to get them out of there.

I wonder if the Home Run Derby will even excite me this year. They are in Anaheim so it will probably be light the entire time maybe ending at dusk (no watching the ball travel through the night), Anaheim isn't really a monumental place for cool upper deck home runs or hitting a scoreboard or anything (the rocks will create some nice diversity though), and if they use the same camera this year as they did last year, I might as well give up. It was so zoomed out that I didn't get to watch my players or their swings. Bring it back to how 2005 - 2008 was, or bring it back to how the old days had in the stands in foul territory down the line. But none of that zoomed out crap.

[GreenReign86]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

Was really hoping Ichiro would be in it this year. But oh well. He would probably win it too.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

I heard Edward Mujica is going to pitch in the home run derby. One can only hope!

[Blzer]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

Was really hoping Ichiro would be in it this year. But oh well. He would probably win it too.

Yes, he probably would. I don't think he'll ever get his shake though, it's really just for the people who are the biggest home run hitters of the year I suppose (or who are known to hit home runs in ball games). While Ichiro isn't that person, he sure as hell can hit home runs in BP and he probably doesn't fatigue as easily.

[rsox]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

I honestly don't get why Robinson Cano is in as he is not really a Home Run hitter. Since the last 2 spots belong to the NL they probably won't announce who is in until after the final vote to see if Joey Votto is voted in since it will most likely be 2 out of a group of Votto/Braun/Gonzalez/Howard.

[Moojenowski]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

I don't know if a guy like Corey Hart will fare very well in this thing. I mean Hart isn't small, but look at guys like Brandon Inge and Chase Utley. Their home runs are supplied by the pitcher's fastball. I must admit that I don't watch Hart every day, but from what I've seen he uses his legs and drives off the speed of the pitch to get behind his home runs.

Corey Hart is 6'6" 230, he can hit the crap out of the ball, he fits the Jason Werth mold more than the Inge (5'11")/Utley(6'1") mold. Those two don't even come close to Hart's size and power. I think Hart will put on a good show.

I'm glad Morneau declined his invite, he already won one, even though everyone remembers Hamilton's show, which is a shame. When promoting that derby they rarely mentioned Morneau even won... At least Abreau won the Derby he went wild at.

I'd put money on Cabrera winning it with ease, though.

[Blzer]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

Corey Hart is 6'6" 230, he can hit the crap out of the ball, he fits the Jason Werth mold more than the Inge (5'11")/Utley(6'1") mold. Those two don't even come close to Hart's size and power. I think Hart will put on a good show.

Like I said, I full well know of Hart's size. But when I have seen him play, his power has been supplied from the pitcher. Richie Sexson was the same kind of ballplayer. They can undoubtedly crush the ball, but I'm sitting here now suspecting a poor performance from him.

If he does well, I will gladly come back in this thread and admittedly stand corrected.

[dalnet22]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

The derby is exciting for about 10 minutes, and then Berman's shtick runs out of steam.

I think it'd be cool to have a representative from each team play a quick derby. Each batter would get 3 outs. The top representative from each division would face off against. Lastly, the top representative from each league would square off.

It'd be more interesting, for sure.

[snepp]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

The derby is exciting for about 10 minutes, and then Berman's shtick runs out of steam.

I can't even make it that long.

[Beantown]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

Just when Ortiz was seemingly playing better.

With the current Red Sox luck, he'll either hit 40 homers during the contest and go back to ****ty-can't-hit-anything-lil Papi or he'll throw out his back on his first swing and be out for 4-6 weeks.

[Mr. Franchise]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

Cano is gonna dominate this. He's a batting practice beast. He's the only Yankee to ever hit that black mohegan sun cafe in center, during BP.

[Mr. Franchise]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

Nevermind Cano just withdrew. Damn shame.

[Equinox831]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

Eh? The Derby has been pretty boring the past couple of years (besides Josh Hamilton's performance a few years back) and this lineup isn't going to help.. I got my money on either Cabrera or Holliday. My sleeper pick is Cano.

EDIT: Dammit, Cano just withdrew.. So I'll change my sleeper to Wells.

[Motown]

Re: 2010 Home-Run Derby

I wanna see Adam Dunn hit some tape measure shots.