A photographic essay of Todd Frazier's final round Home Run Derby triumph!
A storybook ending!
Cue the smoke machine!
December 31, 2015
December 27, 2015
All-Star Summer: HR Derby Part The Third
The batting cage was rolled away, players and media cleared the field, and excitement began to mount as the minutes ticked down until the start of the 30th anniversary of the All-Star Game's Home Run Derby. Down near the right field foul pole, I stood ready - in full ball hawk mode - to catch me some crushed official Rawlings Home Run Derby-logoed baseballs!
[Above; foreshadowing]
George Kenneth Griffey, Sr and his son George Kenneth Griffey, Jr were announced as the two honorees in the event's ceremonial first pitch:
Senior looks like he's on my pizza-and-pasta diet. More power (and mozzarella) to him!
The Home Run Derby participants were next feted on an infield dias:
Jude's boy Anthony Rizzo was a zero:
The Blue Jays Josh Donaldson jacked one foul that was caught by Sean Casey:
High expectations for Prince Fielder went unfulfilled:
Some guys, so you may have heard, fared better than others [additional foreshadowing]:
Between the first and second round of the Home Run Derby, Lou and I learned something very interesting. Earlier in the afternoon, during batting practice, we observed a player wearing the AL-variety All-Star jersey who we did not recognize and who also was blasting baseballs into the upper reaches of the Sun Deck with more consistency and greater length than any other batter. Lou zoomed in with his camera but all we could decipher was his number 8. The name on the back of the jersey was just beyond focus and, from what we could guess at, did not correspond with any Major Leaguer we knew. And we know 'em all! To reiterate; this guy was JACKING the ball.
Announced as taking place between the HR Derby rounds was the national HR Derby finals for high school students.
Now batting, from Toronto, Canada and committed to playing college baseball this year at Notre Dame, Andrew Yerzy. Yerzy! [Little wonder his name wasn't recognizable to us.]
The kids were using aluminum bats, which Lou and I failed to spot during batting practice, but still; you take an aluminum bat out there and try to hammer one 500 feet.
Andrew Yerzy was, unsurprisingly, the eventual winner.
The Cubs had a second participant in Kris Bryant, the NL's Rookie of the Year for 2015:
He, too, was a zero. And speaking of chumps:
Albert Poleholtz [sic] fizzled.
Once the final round participants were determined, the HR Derby championship trophy was paraded onto the field by Dave "the Cobra" Parker and Eric "Eric the Red" Davis. Cincinnati Red Dave Parker won MLB's inaugural Home Run Derby in 1985 and Redleg Eric Davis won the HR Derby in 1989.
The finals consisted of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson.....
..... versus the Mighty Redlegs' third baseman Todd Frazier.
Dodgers versus Reds for title supremacy. That's old school, Big Red Machine era tradition!
Next in All-Star Summer; a pictorial feature of Todd Frazier's Home Run Derby triumph!
Roll the credits!
[Above; foreshadowing]
George Kenneth Griffey, Sr and his son George Kenneth Griffey, Jr were announced as the two honorees in the event's ceremonial first pitch:
Senior looks like he's on my pizza-and-pasta diet. More power (and mozzarella) to him!
The Home Run Derby participants were next feted on an infield dias:
Jude's boy Anthony Rizzo was a zero:
The Blue Jays Josh Donaldson jacked one foul that was caught by Sean Casey:
High expectations for Prince Fielder went unfulfilled:
Some guys, so you may have heard, fared better than others [additional foreshadowing]:
Between the first and second round of the Home Run Derby, Lou and I learned something very interesting. Earlier in the afternoon, during batting practice, we observed a player wearing the AL-variety All-Star jersey who we did not recognize and who also was blasting baseballs into the upper reaches of the Sun Deck with more consistency and greater length than any other batter. Lou zoomed in with his camera but all we could decipher was his number 8. The name on the back of the jersey was just beyond focus and, from what we could guess at, did not correspond with any Major Leaguer we knew. And we know 'em all! To reiterate; this guy was JACKING the ball.
Announced as taking place between the HR Derby rounds was the national HR Derby finals for high school students.
Now batting, from Toronto, Canada and committed to playing college baseball this year at Notre Dame, Andrew Yerzy. Yerzy! [Little wonder his name wasn't recognizable to us.]
The kids were using aluminum bats, which Lou and I failed to spot during batting practice, but still; you take an aluminum bat out there and try to hammer one 500 feet.
Andrew Yerzy was, unsurprisingly, the eventual winner.
The Cubs had a second participant in Kris Bryant, the NL's Rookie of the Year for 2015:
He, too, was a zero. And speaking of chumps:
Albert Poleholtz [sic] fizzled.
Once the final round participants were determined, the HR Derby championship trophy was paraded onto the field by Dave "the Cobra" Parker and Eric "Eric the Red" Davis. Cincinnati Red Dave Parker won MLB's inaugural Home Run Derby in 1985 and Redleg Eric Davis won the HR Derby in 1989.
The finals consisted of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson.....
..... versus the Mighty Redlegs' third baseman Todd Frazier.
Dodgers versus Reds for title supremacy. That's old school, Big Red Machine era tradition!
Next in All-Star Summer; a pictorial feature of Todd Frazier's Home Run Derby triumph!
Roll the credits!
December 23, 2015
All-Star Summer: HR Derby Part The Second
[The answer to last week's trivia question can be found at the end.]
On field prior to the 86th All-Star Game's Home Run Derby, Dodgers ace lefty Clayton Kershaw loosened up:
The San Francisco Giants' 2014 World Series MVP hurler Madison "Mad Bum" Bumgarner was mostly chillin' during batting practice:
Cardinals Paul Bunyan-esque outfielder Matt Holliday lugged a couple of bats around the field like some kind of tough guy:
Then he tossed the bats aside like so many matchsticks. We get it, Matt. You're a big strong dude. Knock it off already.
MLB Network's Harold Reynolds flitted about the field in a feeble attempt to recapture some small element of his past (alleged) glories:
Mike Trout and Price Fielder were not impressed with Harold's antics. Shortly thereafter, Cecil Fielder's son became thoroughly - and comically - confused about where he was expected to appear, next:
The correct answer to last week's trivia question How many full-size Louisville Slugger baseball bats do I share a bedroom with? is.....
Fifteen.
There were no correct answers submitted.
Good night stars! Good night moon! Good night bat rack!
Next up in All-Star Summer; actual Home Run Derby action (finally)!
Roll the credits!
On field prior to the 86th All-Star Game's Home Run Derby, Dodgers ace lefty Clayton Kershaw loosened up:
The San Francisco Giants' 2014 World Series MVP hurler Madison "Mad Bum" Bumgarner was mostly chillin' during batting practice:
Cardinals Paul Bunyan-esque outfielder Matt Holliday lugged a couple of bats around the field like some kind of tough guy:
MLB Network's Harold Reynolds flitted about the field in a feeble attempt to recapture some small element of his past (alleged) glories:
The correct answer to last week's trivia question How many full-size Louisville Slugger baseball bats do I share a bedroom with? is.....
Fifteen.
There were no correct answers submitted.
Good night stars! Good night moon! Good night bat rack!
Next up in All-Star Summer; actual Home Run Derby action (finally)!
Roll the credits!
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