The Derby

I said it before the contest started that the slugger currently known as Prince was going to take the title, and boy did he! After blasting the longest shot of the night of 503 feet, that's 1 and 2/3 football fields' folks, he didn't disappoint in the final. Beating the underdog, Nelson Cruz 6-5. The only reason I didn't choose my cherry, Albert "The Machine" Pujols, was because of the hometown advantage.

I knew he wasn't going to lose that "blast-off" in the first round with a whole city on his back, but he's a "line drive hitter, with power", as he likes to say and that isn't always the best Modus Operandi for this game. It also seemed that he was pressing some, with trying to live up to the hype around playing in his home ballpark to showcase the amazingness that consumes him.

Here's the real question of the night. What the hell is Brandon Inge doing at a Home Run Derby. That's about as awkward as telling someone, "we're going on the Steve Wilkos' show." I still think this guy is an anomaly. How can he hit homeruns? His swing isn't anything special. I feel like even if the spotlight wasn't on him he couldn't put anything out in Batting Practice and we think that he's going to perform well on the big stage because he's run into a few dingers during live games? That worked out well.

I would like to congratulate Nelson Cruz however on quite the display of power. For someone that has bounced around much of his career it looks like he's going to settle in nicely in the oft-slugging Ranger lineup, following J-Ham's in the order. The guy can rake and I now know why he bats cleanup for such a hard-hitting bunch.

Anyone remember those old HR Derbys on at like 5 o'clock in the friggin morning but had the star studded lineups (ie. Henry Aaron, Duke Snyder, Harmon Killebrew, Say Hey Willy etc)? Anyone still think this could be a HUGE gameshow? This could make a killing, find a remote location that no one knows about it and use the exact same rules…I would however LOVE to be THAT umpire that screams, "1-out, 2 AWAY, 3 Outs."

Stay Tuned

Ryan