2007 Homerun Derby

**Sir Lifts-a-lot** · 07-09-2007, 08:57 PM

How many of you guys are disapointed in this thing? It has been such a joke the past couple of years. Tonight when I was watching it I actually had no idea who the hell Alex Rios was, or who he played for. The guys in it for the most part arn't homerun hitters. I remember when dudes like Griffey, Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Gonzalez, and Thomas were winning it.

I think that Bonds, Griffey and Arod kind of let the fans down. It would have been somthing that we could have told our kids about that we saw four (Howard if he continues through his career) of the greatest homerun hitters of all time battle it out. I pray to God that next years in Yankee Stadium takes the stadium out in style! I would love it if Bonds, Griffey, Arod, Howard, Sosa and Thomas competed in it. The House that Ruth built stageing one of the greatest displays of power the game has ever seen one final time. I know it probably won't happen since most of those guys won't be All-Star calibur but it would be nice to see the guys that pretty much saved baseball give a farwell to one of the most storied buildings in all of sports.

**anaBROLIC** · 07-09-2007, 09:03 PM

if you dont konw who alex rios is then your not a regular baseball fan. hes been in the league for a couple years now. he was an all-star last year but didnt play because of illness. and he was batting like .320 on the season.
this year hes batting i believe round .300 with 17 homeruns. i didnt think it was horrible this year. they didnt hit 40 homeruns like they did in the juice era.

**FranKieC** · 07-09-2007, 09:03 PM

It sucked!

The only upside was some of the monster shots they were hitting

**Sir Lifts-a-lot** · 07-09-2007, 09:07 PM

Yes I know who Alex Rios is... but for the point of the thread and the homerun derby it stressed the fact that these guys arn't exactly your normal homerun hitters.

**kaberle_15** · 07-09-2007, 09:30 PM

I never knew that Vladdy couldn't speak english!

**Sir Lifts-a-lot** · 07-09-2007, 10:07 PM

Was it just me or is Vlad starting to look more and more like a homeless dude from Jamaica Queens?

**Renesis** · 07-09-2007, 11:02 PM

Is there something wrong with him having dreads and being dark? The guy is dominican and that is their style. The guy also makes a lot of money why criticize what he looks like for?

**FranKieC** · 07-10-2007, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Sir Lifts-a-lot

Was it just me or is Vlad starting to look more and more like a homeless dude from Jamaica Queens?

Lmfao Jamaica Queensssss

**BBMaker** · 07-10-2007, 02:20 AM

Hooray for Vlad

**JAYROD** · 07-10-2007, 03:38 AM

i didn't even watch it last night because it really is just not a big deal anymore to me. i really enjoyed the battles guys like griff, mcgwire and sosa had back in the day like in '99 at fenway. it's just like the nba slam dunk contests in the 80's with jordan and wilkins just doing amazing dunks and then you had a 5'7'' spud webb doing 360's and now it's pretty much just blah. i just think the star power and just the anticipation of these all star events are not the same.

**longhorn814** · 07-10-2007, 08:21 AM

its too boring, too long, and very anticlimatic. There was an article on espn.com yesterday about this talking about way to make it more exciting. One was to let the fans vote for the players that participate. That way you get Bonds and the other players the fans want to really see. Another was to have them rotate turns in the final round with 3 outs each. Its very anticlimatic if the first guy up knocks out 14 homeruns, you already know who is gonna win. Let them take 3 outs each for a total of 9 outs. There were someother options too, I just dont remember them all. Its just not the same anymore

**WEBB** · 07-10-2007, 08:33 AM

the only problem with fans voting is a lot of the players dont wanna participate in it either....

**K.Biz** · 07-10-2007, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by WEBB

the only problem with fans voting is a lot of the players dont wanna participate in it either....

Exactly. Home run derby's wear batter out. Its an extra hitting game that can possiby injure a player. why put yourself in that position to hurt yourself when you dont have to?

Its obviously an honor to be asked to hit in the MLB derby, but somtimes its just not worth the price.

**stacked566** · 07-10-2007, 09:24 AM

god i wish pujols would've made it to the next round

**kfrost06** · 07-10-2007, 09:50 AM

Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire did not save baseball but rather help to destroy it.

BG · 07-10-2007, 10:16 AM

To many players were going into slumps after the derby so they opted not to play.

**kfrost06** · 07-10-2007, 10:30 AM

BigGuns, your looking SOLID in that avy!

BG · 07-10-2007, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by kfrost06

BigGuns, your looking SOLID in that avy!

Thanks !

**StoneGRMI** · 07-10-2007, 12:15 PM

I thought it was good. They got some of the best home run hitters of the season to participate and that's what it's all about.

**longhorn814** · 07-10-2007, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by WEBB

the only problem with fans voting is a lot of the players dont wanna participate in it either....

screw that..make them play or at least make it worth while for them to play..these guys are getting paid millions of dollars, they should be out there entertaining their fans and the people that pay outrageous ticket prices to pay their over inflated salaries, afterall the all star game is really for the fans

Here's the article on ESPN.com I was referring to

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allsta...son&id=2929740

**WEBB** · 07-10-2007, 01:30 PM

how are you going to MAKE them play....

BG · 07-10-2007, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by WEBB

how are you going to MAKE them play....

I hear a strike and isnt by the umpire.

**StoneGRMI** · 07-10-2007, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by longhorn814

screw that..make them play or at least make it worth while for them to play..these guys are getting paid millions of dollars, they should be out there entertaining their fans and the people that pay outrageous ticket prices to pay their over inflated salaries, afterall the all star game is really for the fans

Here's the article on ESPN.com I was referring to

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allsta...son&id=2929740

The all star game was for the fans until the fans stopped watching because of the lack of competition. Now, the all star game is for home field advantage in the World Series so they have the desire to win.

**longhorn814** · 07-10-2007, 01:40 PM

provide them some sort of cash incentive to play..the only reason they play for homefield advantage now is there were all kinds of complaints after they called the game a tie after 11 innings in Milwaukee several years back..so now they try to make it count which is bs...the team with best record should have home field advantage in world series