The Home Run Derby: A Swing And A Miss

Every year, around this time, speculation begins to arise concerning the participants of the home run derby.  Many baseball analysts are allowing an exhibition of power to take over the day in baseball.  For those not keeping score at home, the Rays are in first place in the AL East.  But all you probably heard today was that Alex Rodriguez deferred a possible appearance in the home run derby so as to not affect his swing, and stay focused on the ultimate prize is: aiding his team to the playoffs.

A-Rod, I applaud you.  Maybe it takes the best all-around player in the game to step aside to show that a "parade" of home runs is not needed.  Yes, I know the arguments already.  Fans love to see long home runs, bombs hit so far that the eye can no longer see where they ultimately land.  And without fans, there is no All-Star game, and there is no lucrative salaries that are paid through the amount of fans that pass through turnstiles each year.

Compare this exhibition to other sports.  In basketball, there are a host of events, including the slam dunk contest and different shooting and skills contests.  In hockey, they show off their agility and shooting skills.  But in baseball, the best home run hitters (or so the plan is) are hitting batting practice (low 80 m.p.h.) pitches into the night. 

Slamming a basketball down through a rim is a skill almost all basketball players possess.  The ability to shoot a puck is a must if you're planning on playing hockey.  But hitting a home run off one of your coaches when there's no one on, you know the pitch, and on top of that, you request the location?  What show of skill is that.

It takes skill and imagination (and a lot of God-given talent) to pull off 360 windmill dunks.  It takes strength to skate through an obstacle course at full-speed.  Where is the skill in hitting home runs?  Now I know what you're thinking: how many of us are strong enough to hit a home run out of a major league ballpark.  The answer: very few.  But if I knew the approximate speed of a pitch, the location it would be, and no pressure resting on my shoulders, I could give it a ride.

Should I even dare suggest changes to the format of the home run derby?  Maybe we should add a real pitcher, whose fastball is at least 90 m.p.h. and mixes up pitches with different locations.  Maybe we should cut down the amount of outs given to the hitters, because I can watch an entire 30 minute sitcom while one batter decides to take ten pitches in a row before attempting to swing at another, and the cycle continues. 

I'm sorry.  That would never work.  Pitchers in an exhibition?  Try convincing general managers that nothing will happen to their star pitcher making more than $10 million this year. It won't be easy. 

But how many fans would love to see a match-up that may be as rare as a blue-moon? Let's put Johan Santana against Ichiro Suzuki.  Or bring on Francisco Rodriguez to face Derek Jeter.  One at-bat.  A hit or walk means the batter wins the match-up.  A strike out or out constitutes a win for the pitcher.  It's that simple.  It's not easy simulating pressure situations, but baseball can come up with some reward for the winners.  Hey, they came up with the idea that the winner of the All-Star game receives home-field advantage for their league in the World Series.

How about a base-stealing contest?  I would have loved to see Ivan Rodriguez in his prime trying to throw out the likes of Carl Crawford or Joey Gathright.  There's a few catchers out there who have cannons for arms that would make the contest interesting.

I know this idea would never fly, but how about putting hula-hoops down the first- and third- baselines and allowing the games best bunters to lay one down into the hula-hoop.  Now that's skill, and something needed in a baseball game with regularity.

All I'm saying is that if baseball wants to invigorate a few things, they should cut back on the home run hitting contest (less contestants, fewer outs allowed), and add some intriguing events, such as the one-on-one contests I outlined or ones that constitute using some skill. 

Yes, I understand the importance of the home run in a baseball game.  Yes, I know how fans appreciate balls flying out of parks.  But in my book, a 1-0 pitcher's duel is the same as a 10-9 slug fest.

Major League Baseball, it's time to show off the skill your league's players possess.  Put a little excitement into the events on the eve of your mid-summer classic. 

Be willing to try something new.  Now that idea could turn out to be a home run for fans.