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Now that's how you do a HR derby. That was fun as hell to watch man.
Frazier
Frazier
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Best home run derby in years!
Do you think they keep it at 4 mins per player for next year or go to what they originally had at 5 mins? I feel like 5 mins would be too long. I think they should even cut the bonus time down or just get rid of it altogether.
Great showing by Frazier though. The home crowd was hyped!
4 minutes no bonus time unless a tie
Derbs was super lit.
Even had my non-baseball friends geeking while watching it. Baseball got it right with this Format
wowwwwwDarren Rovell @darrenrovell 4m4 minutes ago
HR Derby gets 4.9 overnight rating, beats 2015 NBA Saturday Night (Slam Dunk/3 Point Contests), which got a 4.4.
I actually hated the time limit when it was first announced because I thought it would take away from what the fans wanted to see, home runs. Thought it'd screw with it so much, we'd end up with guys hitting line drives for 4 minutes because they couldn't get the stroke down because they were rushing.
But it added an extra bit of excitement to the Home Run Derby that they've lacked for a long time.
I was really wrong about that.
Best. Home Run Derby. Ever.
2h
Buster Olney, Senior Writer, ESPN Insider
CINCINNATI -- As one weather system exited the greater Cincinnati area and another one approached Monday night, a new set of rules for the Home Run Derby were written, and then rewritten, and even in the final minutes before the competition began, the participants were trying to get everything straight.
Charlie Frazier, who was about to throw to his little brother Todd, glanced at a reporter's notepad to settle a question about how much bonus time there would be. Sandy Guerrero, Prince Fielder's pitcher of choice, thought that Fielder would go second rather than first as the No. 7 seed. When informed otherwise, Guerrero scrambled off in search of an event coordinator to get the proper rules interpretation for Prince.
The late changes only added to the charm of the revamped format, which felt like something ad-libbed in a lot of backyards for Wiffle ball games during the summer: OK, if you hit the ball onto the roof, that's a homer, but if you hit the side of the house, that's an out. Three swings and you're out, and …
Those changes, the Frazier brothers and the enthusiastic crowd helped to make this Home Run Derby a staggering success -- really, it was the best ever, in the way that you can confidently say that Game 6 of the 2011 World Series was unmatched -- and you could've ascertained that just by watching the National League sideline.
Typically, other players will watch a round of the Derby, then slip out to spend a few hours with their families. Last year in Minneapolis, most players stuck around to see Giancarlo Stanton's first round, and as soon as he was done, there was a mass exodus; Hunter Pence of the Giants distinguished himself by being one of the few who hung around through all of it.
But on Monday night, a whole lot of players stuck around, from A.J. Burnett to Carlos Martinez to Max Scherzer. Clayton Kershaw walked the sidelines for a while, carrying his baby daughter, Cali Ann. Troy Tulowitzki planted himself on top of a cooler and stayed for the whole thing. Bryce Harper was there with his brother, smiling through the good-natured heckling he was getting from fans about foregoing this Derby.
Scherzer said he loved the new rules, the head-to-head competition, the running clock, which prompted hitters to swing the bat and also moved everything along, a departure from the sagging pace of past years. But Scherzer added with a smile that the biggest reason he was sticking around was to watch what Todd Frazier would do next.
Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter on the planet, Stanton is the most powerful, and Mike Trout is the best overall player. But if a high-school-yearbook-style poll were taken, Frazier might win in the category of Most Popular, because everybody likes that guy, for his gregariousness, his outward humor, his perpetual grin, his self-deprecation. And anybody with a sibling could relate to the dynamic that played out between Todd and Charlie Frazier, whose time together here Monday was just an extension of the thousands of hours the two of them have shared on fields and in batting cages in New Jersey, with Charlie sometimes grinning at an awkward swing by his kid brother, and Todd once screaming at Charlie to hurry.
When Joc Pederson finished his last round -- for pure power, Pederson was probably the most extraordinary Derby participant of the night, hammering balls to all fields, including monster shots toward the Ohio River beyond right field -- Adrian Gonzalez and a couple of other players stood to congratulate him. But when Frazier finished his last two rounds, Scherzer, Martinez and the other players who stayed -- stayed for Todd Frazier -- stood and raised their arms in spontaneous celebration, captured by the moment, caught up in Frazier's joy and the deafening response from the stands.
On this night, everybody became a fan again. They got to see Todd Frazier launch balls onto his family's rooftop, over and over.
With plenty of help from his hometown fans, Frazier survived three thrilling rounds to win the Home Run Derby, writes Jayson Stark. This Home Run Derby will be tough to top, writes Paul Daugherty.
More on Frazier and the Derby
Frazier's performance must have the Mets and Yankees drooling about a possible return home, writes Kevin Kernan.
• Here's a Home Run Derby gallery, visions of all kinds of awesome from Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park, forever home to one of the most memorable Derbies ever.
• Frazier is the first hometown Derby winner since 1990.
• From ESPN Stats & Information: Frazier bounces back and dominates in his home ballpark.
• Video: Frazier hits 15 home runs in the final round to defeat Pederson and win the Home Run Derby. Here is a breakdown of his win.
• Pederson says the experience was surreal. Pederson brought Johnny Washington to the big stage.
Notables
• On Monday's podcast, Jerry Crasnick discussed the incredible weekend comebacks of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the possibility of Barry Larkin becoming the manager of the Reds; Goose Gossage talked about what he would like to see changed in the All-Star Game; and Todd Radom's weekly uniform and logo quiz, which is the toughest of the year.
• Dallas Keuchel and his beard get the starting assignment for the AL, as Jesus Ortiz writes. Zack Greinke is low-key about his starting nod.
• The Baseball Tonight crew looks ahead to the All-Star Game.
• The Baseball Tonight crew discusses Pete Rose's upcoming appearance at the All-Star Game.
• Mike Matheny pushed Trevor Rosenthal too far in the first half, writes Bernie Miklasz.
• Jonathan Papelbon is tired of waiting for a trade. From Jake Kaplan's story:
"It's time to you-know-what or get off the pot," he said, one of three times he used the phrase during a nearly 30-minute media session ahead of Tuesday's All-Star Game. "The Phillies have got to make a decision. You've got to go one way or the other.
"You can't be in limbo and sit here and say, 'What if we do this or what if we do that?' You've got to make a decision and you've got to go with it. I know that we've got a new [incoming] president [Andy MacPhail]. We've got a new interim manager [Pete Mackanin]. We've got all this change supposedly happening. But I don't see any of it yet."
Moves, deals and decisions
1. Andy MacPhail needs a new-wave general manager in Philadelphia, writes David Murphy.
2. Yankees GM Brian Cashman can take a bow, writes John Harper.
3. Chris Davis is not likely a trade candidate, at least in July, writes Dan Connolly.
4. David Price and the Tigers haven't talked about a contract.
5. The Indians promoted a top prospect.
AL East
• Dan Martin writes about how the Yankees found Brett Gardner.
• Adrian Gonzalez says Hanley Ramirez is not in an ideal position.
• Josh Donaldson backs Jose Reyes, as Bob Elliott writes.
• Chris Archer is relishing the spotlight.
• Donaldson isn't upset about his trade to the Blue Jays, writes John Shea.
AL Central
• Glen Perkins might get the call for a save again.
• For the Tigers, a gruesome bullpen situation remains, as Lynn Henning writes.
• An assignment to the bullpen has worked out well for Wade Davis, as Roger Mooney writes.
AL West
• The Astros' good ol' days are here again, writes Brian Smith.
• Gerry Fraley writes about how Prince Fielder became one of the most revered players in baseball.
• The Mariners are staying upbeat about the second half.
• Oakland set its post-break rotation.
• Albert Pujols was a catalyst for the Angels' rise, writes Pedro Moura.
NL East
• Kevin Seitzer has helped the Braves with their approach to hitting.
NL Central
• Pirates GM Neal Huntington's offseason work was splendid. The acquisition of Francisco Cervelli was excellent, a safety net built at the proper time. Cervelli recalled the other day that about 5-10 minutes after the trade was made, manager Clint Hurdle called him and was direct: The Pirates still intended to try to sign Russell Martin, and Hurdle said the odds, as Cervelli recalled from the conversation, were about 50-50. (Their chances were probably less than that, given the aggressiveness of the Cubs and Blue Jays.)
If Martin was re-signed, Hurdle said, Cervelli would be the backup. If not, the job would be Cervelli's; the latter is how it played out.
• A couple of Cubs were knocked out early in the Derby.
• Anthony Rizzo got to meet his childhood hero.
• Kris Bryant and his father shared a special moment.
• A.J. Burnett is savoring his All-Star experience.
• The Pirates and Cardinals deserve an October showdown, writes Rob Rossi.
• All-Star buzz has lifted Reds manager Bryan Price's spirits.
NL West
• Here's a first-half recap of the Diamondbacks.
• Nolan Arenado is shining after a tough time in the minors, writes Patrick Saunders.
• DJ LeMahieu reinvented himself and became an All-Star.
• For the Padres, the first half was a bummer. Jeff Sanders writes about all those San Diego prospects that were traded away.
Lastly
• A key piece of evidence against Pete Rose is in lower Manhattan. Rose will be welcomed Tuesday, but MLB holds the cards, writes Mark Feinsand.
MLB can reinstate Rose, but he'll never get Hall of Fame votes, writes Bob Klapisch.
• Ted Williams' epic blast lives on at Fenway Park, as Alex Speier writes.
• A class-action lawsuit seeks better protection for fans from flying bats and baseballs, writes Richard Sandomir.
And today will be better than yesterday.
**** these stupid lists, man