This is some deep-level “get off my lawn” talk from me right now. Major League Baseball wants to commemorate all special events with new uniforms. With that money cash grab attempt (with some proceeds going to charity), we have these new uniforms for this season. Chris Creamer from SportsLogos.net has a great recap of everything.
I’ll give my thoughts on each design individually. I don’t dig the new looks.
So we just completed the new Home Run Derby and it was very entertaining. It was actually really interesting to see players hit homers against a clock. That drive to the end to get that one last swing before the time ran out was great. The bracket-style was a nice touch. Overall, this was fun. If the derbies are like this going forward, I can dig it.
However, this new format isn’t perfect. There are still some flaws to it.
One flaw that stood out to me the entire evening was the rule that even though it is a timed event, the pitcher cannot make the next pitch until the ball from the previous swing lands. That is a disadvantage on hitters who hit majestic moon shots. Also it adds way more pressure on the pitcher to pitch the ball immediately after the ball lands. Why did Todd Frazier win? His brother Charlie, who was his pitcher, was able to maximize the amount of pitches in the time allotment. It’s unfair but as part of the rules, the Fraziers executed it wonderfully.
The only time the All-Star Game’s home run derby was canceled due to weather was in 1988 in Cincinnati. This year, the midsummer classic is in Cincinnati again and there is a chance it might be canceled again.
This doesn’t look good for the derby as the weather looks to be very serious and the chances of getting off the contest seems very unlikely. Of course, the weather can shift and things might change as we approach the start of the derby. But early indications suggest that there is a chance it might not happen.
The derby is scheduled to start at 8pm ET, which according to Weather.com (in the screen shot) it will be wet.
But with this great achievement, we also get the negative reaction on Twitter. Like last year, people went to Twitter to complain about how Yoenis Cespedes didn’t conduct his interview in English.
Cespedes is in his third year living in America after defecting from Cuba and joining the A’s. Learning a new language isn’t easy and maybe he isn’t fully comfortable speaking in public in English.
Aside from the announcing team, this looks to be a great derby. Jose Bautista can launch them. Former champ Justin Morneau is in it. Yoenis Cespedes is here to defend his title. Tulowitzki and Donaldson both are studs. Puig will be exciting. Giancarlo Stanton might be the best out of the bunch.
Lots of star power in this one. And personally, two A’s players makes me smile!
The American League is in red. The National League is in navy blue.
Unlike years past with a custom logo for the National and American League, it’s just a recolored cap.
I’m not feeling it. Heck, even the Rangers cap doesn’t look different from what they already wear.
The final swing and the big bat flip.
Yoenis Cespedes of the Oakland A’s wins the home run derby with a show. He blasted 32 bombs en route to the title (and give the A’s fans discounted tickets). He’s the first player not on the All-Star team to win it. A relative unknown to most of America, he had a chance to display his skills and it was great to see the A’s get represented well.
This is his second season in the big leagues after defecting from Cuba in hopes of a better life here a little less than two years ago. He’s been learning English since he has arrived but hasn’t learned enough to be comfortable doing interviews. Despite all of that, he has assimilated himself real well and has embraced his new life in America.
However, that doesn’t stop the racist Americans from tweeting out their displeasure that Cespedes doesn’t know English. Twitter once again brings out the hate and racism from our country. And in case you didn’t know, English is not the official language of the United States. There is none.
