Home Run Derby lacking sluggers, appeal - 07/11/2010 (139 views)
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Written by Evan Jacoby - July 11th, 2010 The MLB Home Run Derby and NBA Slam Dunk Contest used to be the most exciting, appealing fun events in sports. Each sport's All-Star break festivities included its respective highly-anticipated challenge that pitted its league's biggest stars in a competition of strength and power. But in the last 5 years, the Slam Dunk Contest has become more of a joke than a competition. Long gone are the days of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilikins going head-to-head in a must-see TV event of unreal athletic skill. No longer do the best dunkers and athletes compete in the NBA's event. Whether it's fear of embarrassment or risk of injury, the players that fans want to see are refusing to participate. As a result, the contest has become a shell of its once-historic competition. Suddenly following the NBA's trend is baseball's Home Run Derby. The Derby was once a legendary competition between the biggest and baddest sluggers in the game. The pursuit to be crowned MLB's best power hitter has been cherished throughout baseball history. But not anymore. Maybe baseball players are sensing the same fears of embarrassment or risks of injury that NBA players do. It could be that participating in the Derby has a tendency to throw a player's swing out of whack for a short period of time. Or perhaps it's a result of the post-steroid era's lack of emphasis on slugging. Whatever it is, the MLB Home Run Derby is suffering because of it. Baseball is still filled with huge power hitters, but their event is not. The 2010 MLB Home Run Derby contains perhaps the weakest field of competitors in its history. Most of these guys are tremendous all-around players, but they're not straight power hitters, and have no business competing in the Derby. Let's take a look at the field: American League --
National League --
So there's your exciting field for the 2010 Home Run Derby. Like I said, there are some great players on this list. There's also a few legitimate power hitters. But overall, this is a list of solid all-around players, and not a field of sluggers. Miguel Cabrera and Matt Holliday are really the only true, legitimate sluggers on this list. And Holliday is more of a doubles hitter than a HR hitter. Hart is having a tremendous season, but his previous career-high in HR's is 24. David Ortiz is one of the all-time great sluggers of this generation, but he's about 3 years past his power-hitting prime. Vernon Wells is a good hitter, but I doubt he'd consider himself a top slugger. Hanley Ramirez is the world's best shortstop, but he's a batting champion and 40 stolen-base guy, not a slugger. Chris Young has no business being here, no offense to him. And Nick Swisher? He's only here because he has the perfect personality for this event. His 14 HR is a pleasant surprise, and that's good for 20th in the American League. Guys like Cabrera and Holliday would be nice filler candidates at the back end of a loaded Home Run Derby. This year, they're the headliners for a severely lacking event. Here's the field of top players who declined the invite to participate: American League --
National League --
Let's just say that the second field of omitted players would be more fun to watch than the first group. This is not to take anything away from the current competitors or their attempts to take home the Derby crown. It's just that most of these guys would never even be invited to compete in this event if it weren't for the many declined invites of the best players. Nowadays we live in a society that is monitored 24/7 by photos, videos, news stories, and Twitter feeds. Perhaps all the media scrutiny has discouraged our top athletes from competing in more events that could only increase the volume of criticism towards them. Who knows what the reasons may be. All I know is that I'm not exactly on the edge of my seat waiting for the 2010 MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night.
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