All-Star Break: Waiting, Day 2

Waiting to catch a ball …

A record 312 home runs were hit at last night’s All-Star Home Run Derby.

People got really excited about all the homers, but if you ask me, it’s sort of just a glorified batting practice and the home runs aren’t even really home runs … no one runs anywhere, no one scores a run.

According to MLB.com: “There were 24.8 miles of home runs hit in the 2019 Derby — the 312 homers totaled 130,779 feet.” Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., of the Toronto Blue Jays, alone hit 91 homers – 7.3 miles of them. (Dear Toronto Blue Jays Fans, That’s 11.75 kilometers worth.)

In case you missed it, Vlad, Jr. lost in the final round to the Mets’ Pete Alonso.

Sure, 24.8 miles of batting practice home runs is impressive. I guess.

OK, people, time for some Babe Ruth talk.

The first All-Star game was played in 1933, toward the tail-end of Babe Ruth’s career. He hit a home run in that game, the very first in All-Star history.

Just one.

It didn’t fly a mile. It didn’t cause fireworks to explode from the Jumbotron. No one “stat-casted” its path or launch angle or “velo.”

Just one.

But, it was a home run. A real one. And, he ran around the bases – well, maybe “trotted briskly around the bases on his spindly legs” is a better description. It scored two runs and the American League won that game, 4-2.

You can see it here.

You can watch this 312 times and it will still be awesome.

Baseball – the real kind – returns on Friday (or Thursday night if you are in Texas where the Rangers will play the Astros).

In Case You Missed ‘Em: All-Star Break: Waiting, Day 1 and Day 3 and Day 4.

8 thoughts on “All-Star Break: Waiting, Day 2”

I found that YouTube has episodes of the 1960 version of home run derby. Players like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays compete for a prize of $2,000. They hit in what looks like an abandoned old ballpark with chewed up grass. And the batting practice pitcher who gives up the most home runs gets a bonus. (I think someone might have tendered that offer in the Mets bullpen.) Much more fun to watch than the current MLB extravaganza. Search You Tube for 1960 home run derby.

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Jackie, The Baseball Bloggess on July 9, 2019 at 10:12 am said:

I’ve seen some of those old episodes … although the ones I recall seemed to be all 2nd tier players — sort of today’s unknown guys. Willie Mays vs Mickey Mantle! Now that’s a home run contest! I never knew that they were in episodes and now I’ve found them on YouTube. And, I’m embedding the Mantle/Mays one here … thanks for the scoop ..

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