2008 Home Run Derby

Here are this year's participants for tonight's Home Run Derby:

• Lance Berkman - 22
  
• Ryan Braun - 22
  
• Josh Hamilton - 20
  
• Evan Longoria - 16
  
• Justin Morneau - 14
  
• Grady Sizemore - 22
  
• Dan Uggla - 23
  
• Chase Utley - 25

Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn are not in this year despite having the most and second most home runs (28, 26 respectively). Although neither is an all-star...

Also, I'm surprised that a Yankee isn't involved, being that it's in Yankee Stadium...

07/13/2008 11:10 PM ET
Hitters looking to drive ball out at Derby
Yankee Stadium a tough place to knock one out of park
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The State Farm Home Run Derby comes to Yankee Stadium for the first time on Monday night and it couldn't have happened at a better time.

"How appropriate that it [and the All-Star Game] should be here in the stadium's 85th and final year?" said Hal Steinbrenner, the chairman of Yankee Global Enterprises and the younger son of George, the team's longtime owner and patriarch. "The Home Run Derby is going to be exciting and I know that people will be trying to hit it out of here, be the first to hit it out of here -- and good luck with that.

"I don't know if that's a reality or not, but I'm sure one or two of the participants will be trying. Obviously it will be a huge endeavor."

The Derby field is complete with the addition this weekend of Rays rookie sensation Evan Longoria and Twins first baseman Justin Morneau. Longoria and Morneau join the Rangers' Josh Hamilton and the Indians' Grady Sizemore as the American League representatives. The Astros' Lance Berkman, the Brewers' Ryan Braun, the Marlins' Dan Uggla and the Phillies' Chase Utley will compete for the National League.

Morneau is the only repeater from last year's event in San Francisco's AT&T Park, which was won by the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero over Alex Rios of the Blue Jays. Morneau lost a five-pitch playoff against the Cards' Albert Pujols and didn't make it past the first round.

For Berkman, this will be his fourth Home Run Derby. Although he's never won, his results have run the gamut from uneventful in 2002 to spectacular in 2004, when he was defeated in his own home park by Miguel Tejada, then with the Orioles, who finished with a flurry. Berkman also called himself "a complete non-factor" in 2006 when he hit three and was out after the first round.

Berkman has the most career homers of any of this year's contestants -- 281. The other six are all first-timers in the Derby.

ESPN's All-Star Game programming will be highlighted by the Home Run Derby at 8 p.m. ET on Monday.

The 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the last to be played at the current Yankee Stadium -- which closes at the end of this season -- will be televised nationally by FOX, also with pregame ceremonies beginning on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

It also will be shown live in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International.

Steinbrenner is quite right about hitting the ball out of Yankee Stadium -- it's never been accomplished fair under any configuration.

The original stadium, which opened in 1923, didn't have upper decks that extended past the foul lines. Still, even the great Babe Ruth, the left-handed Sultan of Swat, couldn't put it over the back bleacher wall in right field.

Forty years later, with the upper decks extended to their current positions jutting out to left- and right-centers and the roof still on the original structure, Mickey Mantle came the closest to hitting it out.

Mantle, the most powerful switch-hitting slugger in Major League history, twice hit the frieze just beneath the roof in right field.

Since the stadium was refurbished and reopened in 1976, no one has even come close.

In the Derby, it would be very tough for the four left-handed hitters: Sizemore, Hamilton, Morneau and Utley.

"It's really short down the right-field line, and I'm a left-handed hitter," Sizemore said. "Whoever feels good that day will have the best opportunity that day."

Berkman, a switch-hitter who could obviously bat left-handed to shoot for the short right-field porch, said he won't do so because he doesn't want to disturb his swing. Houston's Minute Maid Park has a short right-field porch with a high wall.

"I work the entire year on not pulling the ball in batting practice left-handed," Berkman said. "So my swing is just more up the middle, up the middle, up the middle. Now, to have to all of a sudden have to pull the ball, I don't want to do that. Whereas right-handed, I naturally pull the ball anyway, so it's much easier for me to just turn it loose right-handed than it is left-handed during batting practice."

But the feat of hitting it out of the stadium would be impossible for the righty swingers -- Uggla, Braun and Longoria -- because left to left-center is the deepest part of the ballpark, with the back wall alone behind Monument Park well over 500 feet from home plate.

Hitting it out of the building, though, is not the criteria for Uggla, who was selected for the 2006 All-Star Game, but didn't play.

"I grew up watching the Home Run Derby," he said. "I think a lot more people watch the Home Run Derby than they do the game. It's just a special thing. It's a time to relax, have fun with each other. You can see a guy hit the ball a long way. This is one thing I never dreamed I'd ever be in."

Every ballpark has its quirks. Last year, left-handed Derby competitors aimed for "splash hits" into McCovey Cove -- just behind a 24-foot brick wall and small bleacher section in right field. But no one dropped it into the Cove fair.

Two years ago when the Phils' Ryan Howard defeated the Mets' David Wright, contestants in Pittsburgh's PNC Park zeroed in on the Allegheny River just beyond the right-field bleachers. And a number of shots hit the drink.

But hitting it out of Yankee Stadium? Don't expect it.

"You really don't know how you're going to feel until your name is announced," said Hamilton, who has competed in Home Runs Derbies in the Minor Leagues. "It's going to be exciting and nerve-wracking until you get that first one, if you get that first one. But it always looked like fun watching it on television."

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Opening Round
• Each player gets 10 outs to hit as many home runs as possible.
• The four players with the most home runs hit in the Opening Round advance to the Semi-Final Round.
Semi-Final Round
• Home runs totals from the first round will carry over to the second round.
• Each player gets 10 outs to hit as many home runs as possible per at bat.
• The two players with the most home runs in the Semi-Final Round advance to the Championship Round.
Championship Round
• Home runs from the first two rounds do not carry over to the
Championship Round; Opening and Semi-Final Round totals are cleared
from the board.
• Each player gets 10 outs to hit as many home runs as possible.
• The player who hits the most home runs in the Championship Round is declared the Home Run Derby champion.
Rules
• An out is registered when a player swings at a pitch and does not hit a home run.
• A ball hit over the fence must be fair to count as a home run.

And his name is Dan Uggla!

Go Longoria I voted Berkman.

I vote Magglio. Who cares about these other bums.

laprimamirala wrote:

I vote Magglio. Who cares about these other bums.

Magglio will get 0 HR...

tonight he would, but just wait!

Man, Josh Hamilton is kicking butt! I think he is going to win.

Lance looked pretty good too

21 homeruns!!


Now 22! Wow! Go Josh!

WOW JOSH HAMILTON HAS 28 HR'S IN ROUND 1

A NEW ROUND 1 RECORD!!!!!

HIS PITCHER IS 71 YEAR OLD CLAY COUNCIL

Since Morneau was on the private jet with Leyland..... I wonder if he talked about Morneau becoming a Tiger in the future????

Holy !!! And I was proud of Danny-Boy for getting 6

I wanna change my vote

I'm offically in love with Josh Hamilton!

Winner............Justin Morneau!

Justin Morneau wins by 2 home runs in the final.

Great job Josh Hamilton. You tired yourself out in round 1. Even thought you came in second, in the final, you were first in total, and in our hearts ! As you said, Jesus really is blessing you now in your life!



Morneau.......Hamilton

Amazing story, and he seems like a really nice guy.

We'll have to catch the Tigers in Texas next season.

To see a replay of the Derby, check out ESPN360.

cdurbfan22 wrote:

I'm offically in love with Josh Hamilton!

Me too! He was awesome.

mrsrabelo wrote:

cdurbfan22 wrote:

I'm offically in love with Josh Hamilton!

Me too! He was awesome.

He's so cute; I'm saving Yahoo sports pictures of him right now!

Go Morneau. Hamilton is alright, but his story doesn't do much for me

For a feel-good story, I'll take Lester over Hamilton and I hate the Red Sox.

I was kinda bummed Hamilton didn't win after doing so damn well in the 1st round (I think he got tired) but I like Morneau a lot, always have, so I'm glad he won. I love how that stupid espn guy said when Morneau went up in round 1 "I question this selection" bah idiot, STFU!! So I'm glad he won because that stupid guy made me mad the whole time :haha:

haha espn caught Utley saying the f-word live though

SoulRat wrote:

haha espn caught Utley saying the f-word live though

What the fuck is wrong with him? Children could've seen that!

SoulRat wrote:

I was kinda bummed Hamilton didn't win after doing so damn well in the 1st round (I think he got tired) but I like Morneau a lot, always have, so I'm glad he won. I love how that stupid espn guy said when Morneau went up in round 1 "I question this selection" bah idiot, STFU!! So I'm glad he won because that stupid guy made me mad the whole time :haha:

haha espn caught Utley saying the f-word live though

Yeah me too, but I don't mind Morneau winning either.

Yeah, that was funny!

My favorite part was seeing all of their kids, and when Hamiltons team mates kept running out there and doing stuff while he was batting, that was funny!