man, anyone who was tuned in to espn tonight around 8 got a treat...the major league baseball home run derby (and no i do not refer to the randall simon italian sausage incident). what a show. it started out slow and with many of baseball's premier home run hitters missing (Bonds, Sosa, ARod and Mike Lowell) but the "second string" put on an exhibition. no one hit very many in the first round, except for jason giambi, a perennial contender in the event and last years champion. the last three rounds were amazing, however, with albert pujols of the cardinals tying giambi's 2 year old record with 14 hr's in a round, and giambi doing his best to overcome such a deficit. (he hit 11 against pujols' 14 in head to head.) the crowd rose to its feet when pujols needed to hit just one to tie with one out to go and but he was just too tired to get one more up into the stands after hitting some 34 before then or something like that. the moment was akin to when the best player on the home team gets up in the ninth with the chance to win it all and the crowd's and viewer's anticipation is building. it was too bad he didnt come through, but it was still exciting, and it was all home runs, so i would think even a less than casual fan could get into that.
Posted by dp at July 15, 2003 1:48 AM | TrackBackI love watching a great home run, especially when it comes out of nowhere. I was at a Lookouts game Sunday, the Lookies were down by four with the bases loaded, and the player at bat (Billy somebody) hadn't gotten a hit all day. And he smacks a grand slam 400 feet over the center field wall, a line drive that just cleared the fence. Tie game. I almost dropped my cigarette, it was so cool.
Wish I had watched the derby. I'll definately check out the game tonight. It's been a great baseball season so far. Go Royals!
Posted by: mesh at July 15, 2003 2:13 AMman, its just a great feeling. espn had been showing old derby's in the days leading up to this year's contest. watching sosa and giambi square off the last couple of years is unbelievable, even after seeing it two or three times. sosa hit like 5 500 footers last year. and both of em hit at least 10 a round. and then you cant beat the game winning hit, esp. if its a home run. if you can check out sports center today or tonight because after yesterday's derby, they showed all 86 homers hit in the competition in under a minute...it was pretty cool. and im with you for the royals, but i really hope the red sox beat those yanks.
Posted by: dp at July 15, 2003 2:22 AMI was at a Braves game recently (they were playing the Expos on the 4th of July) and the Braves were down by two or three going into the seventh when they rallied to go up by two. It is such an incredibly cool feeling to be at a game like that. When John Smoltz came out in the top of the ninth they started flashing some cheesy graphics up on all the scoreboards but the entire crowd was on its feet roaring at the top of their lungs. I think it goes down as one of my favorite baseball memories.
Posted by: Steele at July 15, 2003 8:20 PMhow about the all star game tonight? down four heading into the 6th, seemingly out of it with the nl scoring 5 in the 5th and up in the bullpen for the nl, the three premier closers in baseball for the last two years (wagner, gagne, and smoltz), the al scores 5 runs in the next three innings to beat the automatic above mentioned three (really two, gagne blew the save before smoltz could finish it). and my man, texas ranger hank blalock hits the homer to win it. the only highlight the rangers will have this year.
Posted by: dp at July 16, 2003 12:42 AMSaw that second round between Giambi and Pujols. Incredible display of power!
Posted by: RobU at July 19, 2003 6:16 PM