Bleacher Report - Articles by The Coon

The 2009 Home Run Derby: Albert Pujols Is in, Who Else Should Join Him?

The Coon — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:22:32 -0400

It’s not even two weeks into the season, and already we're getting our first nugget of All-Star Game festivities chatter.

Bring it on!

Undoubtedly, the MLB's Home Run Derby, held the Monday night before the All-Star Game, has become king of all the All-Star festivity events.

The NBA dunk contest hasn't meant anything in years, since the days of MJ and Dominique Wilkins, back during a time when the elite of the game actually competed, and wanted victory, in the event.

The NHL skills competition is fantastic, but just like the rest of the sport, hasn't found the wide-ranging audience it deserves.

And the NFL Pro Bowl? Let's just imagine that it never actually happens.

But the derby, each year, provides us with fascinating storylines, breathtaking performances, and a chance to oggle the game's elite pulling off the greatest feat in sports, the home run.

No matter how old I get, I'll never grow weary of plunking down on my couch each July to take in the event, one of the 10 best days in sports.

So it came, as music to my ears on Thursday when it was announced that Albert Pujols plans to take part in this year's contest. It's only fitting, seeing how it's going to be in front of his frenzied home crowd at Busch Stadium.

This will be the Cardinals' sluggers' third time competing, his first since 2007. Back in '03 he made it all the way to the finals at U.S. Cellular Field, where he lost to Garret Anderson (Garret Anderson!?) by a mere one long ball.

Being one of the faces of baseball's shrinking steroid-free heroes list, it's always a treat to watch Pujols swing the bat, let alone knowing that he's looking to go yard.

He, along with many others, has said they don't really like to take part in the competition because it messes with their swing. This is a reasonable argument, but for the sake of the fans, who in all reality the game is actually for, it's always better to have the big-name boys swinging the lumber.

And I'm sure once they get going, and the crowd is getting in to it, they forget all about the few games worth of mechanics they're sacrificing for the sake of the derby.

After all, it's the freaking home run derby. It's awesome!

So with the news of Albert signing in blood to participate, it got me to thinking about whom else I'd like to spend my July 13 night with.

And so, in no particular order, here are my picks for the other seven contestants to participate in the Home Run Derby.

    * Alex Rodriguez

Sure, the guy's recovering from surgery and hasn't even participated in a game this season. But come on, who needs it—and I mean REALLY needs it—more than A-Rod? This guy is coming off one of the most damaging offseasons in recent memory, and without question the Derby can be his saving grace.

Look, we all know the lepers that Bonds, Clemens, Sosa and McGuire became because of their (cough) alleged (cough) steroid use. But I believe that the way they handled their respective situations was more of a factor in their becoming media and social outcasts, than their actual cheating did.

America, especially its sports fans, are forgiving people.

It's the media's 24/7 cramming information and coverage down our throats that creates the illusion of hatred and repulsion toward these people. But, in my heart, I believe that had they simply manned up to what they did, apologized (sincerely), and asked for the fans forgiveness, that they truly would have received it.

Instead, Bonds was nothing but egotistical, Clemens let his friends take the fall and played the blame game, Sosa pulled a no-speakie-English act, and McGuire merely faded into oblivion.

But A-Rod has a chance to be better than that.

No, he didn't help his cause with the lame Peter Gammons interview, the sketchy cousin information, or the Details Magazine spread.

But there is still time. And it can start with the Derby.

Look, A-Rod is going to get A LOT of bashing when he returns, both from rival fans as well as the New York ones, but that's to be expected. It's part of the game, and it was happening before all of the steroid stuff came out.

But if he can come back, perform at the level we've all come to expect from him, and then opts to participate; I truly feel he can win back the fans. So long as two things happen, this could be a huge success story this summer

1.) He MUST submit to a public drug test the week before the event, no exceptions. Like it or not, people are still going to be skeptical. No better way to quiet the crowd than to throw that fact that he's clean right in their face.

2.) He damn well better put on a show. If A-Rod does decide to play, then pulls a Jason Bay (zero home runs), he will never, EVER, live it down. He needs to pull off a near Hamilton-esque performance, or else the crowd might eat him alive.

But I think he can do it. And for the sake of the game, I hope he does.

    * Josh Hamilton

Speaking of Hamilton-esque, was there anything more enjoyable than watching the awesome show Josh Hamilton put on last year? I think not.

Sure, we had the drugs storyline shoved in our faces the entire night, but by the time the first round was over (a record 28 home runs later), it was all worth it.

Hamilton put on the single most jaw-dropping performance in the history of the Derby. I can still remember the hair on my arms sticking up as each swing of the bat resulted in a perfect arched ball sailing into the upper-deck of Yankee Stadium (and one even OUT of it).

Nobody remembers that Justin Morneau actually won the derby (hell, I don't think Morneau even remembers that he won). All we remember is the Babe Ruthian performance Josh put forth in the legendary ballpark's swansong that even the Babe would have been proud of.

He deserves another chance.

    * Ken Griffey Jr.

Is this Juniors last year?

Many believe that it is, and what better way to end it (other than getting that elusive World Series ring) than to put on one last show in the contest that the man himself made popular.

I remember being a young kid, watching the beauty of Griffey's swing, backwards cap and all, as he made a mockery of the long ball, poking pitches over the wall with ease. He certainly captivated America by making a name for himself as one of the Derby's greatest contestants.

In fact, he is THE greatest contestant, having slugged a record 70 home runs in his eight previous appearances in the contest, the last having come way back in the year 2000!

Nine years between gigs is a long time. Far too long for the man many believe would be the rightful owner of baseball's home run record, if not for some unfortunate injuries that plagued the later years of his career.

Now, though, is the time for one last triumphant return for Junior. If indeed this is his last season, I want to see him go out in a blaze of glory, riding off into the sunset with one final derby trophy, symbolically christening him as our generation's greatest home run hitter.

    * Manny Ramirez

Can you believe that Manny Ramirez hasn't been a part of the derby since 1995?

19 frickin' 95!

That lone appearance resulted in three home runs, and since then we've endured Richie Sexson in the Derby twice—twice! Yet not a single another show from Manny.

Talk about long overdue.

Ramirez—the $45 million man—seems to earn his money every night out there in L.A. The crowd loves him, he continues to be a catalyst for that team, and he continues to pump storylines into the media—the most recent being his comments about wanting to end his career back in Cleveland.

But how about this storyline: Ramirez opts to participate in Derby, guarantees victory!

Eh? Sounds intriguing doesn't it?

Okay, so maybe he doesn't have to guarantee victory—although that would be hilarious—but if he truly does enjoy the game as much as his teammates and the media claim he does, then why not take a hack at the Derby once again (pun intended).

To me, the only way to make this cooler would be if the All-Star festivities were being held at Fenway.

    * Ryan Howard

The reigning home run king opted out of last year's contest after an embarrassing '07 performance (three home runs), but one year off should be enough to sooth his ego.

Howard, one of the best power hitters in the game, has no excuses NOT to participate.

He can't use the ole’ "it'll mess up my mechanics" routine, because, as I see it, he has none.

Howard is constantly 0-for-4 with three strikeouts or 1-for-3 with a towering home run. There is rarely an in-between, which is what makes him so frustrating to own in fantasy leagues!

Plus, topping the league in home runs two of the last three seasons, it should be mandatory that he participate. Otherwise, what are all those home runs good for? Winning a World Series?

Take the power show to the stage the fans really want to see it on—the Derby!

    * Evan Longoria

Early on, Evan is proving that his outstanding rookie campaign was no fluke, and that he's going to be one of the best talents to watch for many years to come.

That being said, if there was one pitfall to his '08 season, it would be his disappointing three home run appearance in the derby.

But we can chalk that one up to nerves.

Everyone deserves a mulligan, and I'd love for him to get it this year. He's got one of the sweetest power swings in the game, and he represents everything we hope to get from our upcoming generation of superstars (or the stars of tomorrow, today!)

Imagine, clashing the stars of yesteryear (Griffey) with tomorrow's talents (Longoria), pitting them in a long ball battle among some of the game's greatest hitters. You can't possibly go wrong with that!

    * Adam Dunn

This is another guy who seems to be in the final stretch of his playing days—but man can he hit a baseball!

Like Howard, it's usually all or nothing with Dunn. But when he does connect, the ball travels, on average, like 440 feet.

This contest was MADE for him.

Picture it. Adam Dunn at the plate, not trying to do anything but put the ball over the Gateway Arch.

That has Josh Hamilton II written all over it.

So what do you guys think? Like this list? Hate it? Let me know who you'd like to see swingin' for the fences come July!

The 10 Sports Jobs I'd Love to Have

The Coon — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:28:19 -0400

We've all dreamed of being professional athletes. We yearn for the days of glory and big paychecks, but in all reality, there's a very small percentage of people that are actually talented and lucky enough to make it to the big time. So what's the next best thing, besides writing about sports? Here's a list of 10 sports jobs I'd love to have.

Begin Slideshow

Ty Cobb and the Lost Art of Stealing Home

The Coon — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:38:39 -0400

With all due respect to Cal Ripken Jr., Joe DiMaggio, and Hank Aaron (yes, Aaron, not Bonds), the most unbeatable, and perhaps astounding, record in all of baseball is held by a man named Ty Cobb.

Cobb, who played from 1905 to 1928, most memorably for the Detroit Tigers, set a record for stealing home by accomplishing the feat an amazing 54 times during his career, the most infamous coming in game two of the 1909 World Series.

The next closest total is Max Carrey, who did it 33 times.

For all their achievements; Ripken with 2,632 consecutive games played, DiMaggio with his 56-game hit streak, and Aaron with 755 home runs; none are as telling as Cobbs' mark.

Stealing home, after all, is the most exciting play in baseball.

If memory serves me correctly, the last successful attempted steal of home plate was by a Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez for the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 1993.

Ok, so maybe it wasn't that long ago, but you get the idea.

Stealing home is an extreme rarity. Cobb, however, pulled it off 54 times!

It's well documented that Cobb wasn't the most likable person. He was constantly at war with teammates, media, and even fans. But his style of play on the field was well respected (as recognized with his inaugural induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, out-voting the likes of Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner), his grit and determination being just as fierce as his anger in those clubhouse spats.

He was the originally Manny Being Manny.

The problem is,stealing home has never been an officially documented statistic, and thus lies the problem; if not officially tracked, it can't be officially recognized.

The most exciting play in baseball, perhaps in all of sports, isn't even counted among the Major League Baseball record book.

Not that it matters. There's no reason to believe that any player will ever match that mark, officially or otherwise. It just doesn't happen often enough for it to be a reasonable expectation.

The home runs, they'll always be there.

With a little luck and perseverance, you never have to miss a game.

A few have come close to matching the 56 game hit streak, and it's only a matter of time before somebody topples it.

But stealing home? It's such a rare event, like spotting Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. You just don't see it in this day and age.

So while all of the hoopla surrounds the big three records, all of which are just as equally deserving, let's not forget Cobb's legendary mark.

He patented stealing home just as much as the other guys did with their respected talents.

Now it's time to show him some love.

From Angels to Angel; Nick Adenhart a Reminder of Life's Fragility

The Coon — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:50:02 -0400

It's funny the thoughts that come to one's mind after news breaks of somebody's untimely death.

For me, the last few days have been filled with such instances, and each time I can't help but wonder why—although I had no connection to these people—I'm left heavy hearted and appreciating the fact that my heart is still beating, my time on earth still ticking away.

I live in Pittsburgh, and this past Saturday three city police officers were gunned down and killed in what was thought to be a routine 9-1-1 call. These men, one of which was off duty at the time, were the first respondents to a call placed by the suspect's mother, who was trying to have her son removed from her apartment after they had gotten into an argument in the early hours of the morning.

The suspect, Richard Poplawski, was a discharged marine who adhered to a number of right-wing conspiracy theories, one of which was that the government was planning to take away his right to own guns.

As his mother answered the door, Mr. Poplawski lay in wai,t clutching an AK-47 assault rifle, one of his beloved weapons he so feared having taken away from him by the big, bad government, and opened fire on the officers as they neared the doorway.

I won't go into the rest of the details, but all three officers were killed, and the city, myself included, is still mourning their loss.

But in the back of my mind, despite the sorrow and grief that I feel for the slain officers and their families, there's a part of me that says that they knew there was a possibility that this could happen. They had signed on to the police force with full knowledge of the dangers associated with the job.

Did they expect it to happen on what seemed like a routine domestic disturbance call? I'm sure they didn't. But somewhere along the line, as horrible as it is, they knew that this day could come.

They gave their lives in the line of duty. As such, they should be honored and remembered accordingly.

But with Nick Adenhart, it was a different story.

This guy—this KID—was only 22 years old. He was a rising star among the Angels organization, showing signs of his potential greatness in six innings of work the very night before he was killed.

His job wasn't dangerous, unless you take into account the backlash some fans are capable of. But this guy was living every little boy's dream; playing in the big leagues, getting paid to play baseball!

He wasn't equipped with a gun, he wasn't taught techniques to bring down and subdue criminals. He was merely a baseball player, but a darn good one at that.

So it pains me to see that this young man, who had his entire life ahead of him, was cut short by the stupidity of a drunk driver.

This would be a perfect opportunity for me to go off on a tirade about how I believe drunk driving is one of, if not the most severe, crimes that can be committed. But I won't, out of respect for Nick. Let's just say, though, that I would have no problem with this guy getting the death penalty.

The reality, though, is that a young man's life, along with thousands more each day, was cut down during a seemingly innocent moment in his life.

He was simply driving. Not even that, he was stopped at a red light.

It's a painful reminder of just how fragile life is. One minute, we can be on top of the world. And the next?

Gone.

So it was great to see that the Angels, and Major League Baseball, got it right today when they decided to postpone the game between Los Angeles and Oakland and honor the memory of their fallen brother.

Here's hoping the Angels, if not every team, adorn a patch embedded with his No. 34 for the rest of the season.

I couldn't help but spend the day wondering though—what if?

I'm only 23 years old. I've played baseball my entire life, and still do. I'm just like Nick, in a way. What if it was me that was hit?

I told my parents today, for the first time in as long as I can remember, that I love them. Same with my brothers.

What if it was my last chance? Or how about tomorrow?

With the sudden and tragic death of Nick, it's a forceful reminder that you just never know when your time is going to be up.

Take this opportunity, afforded to us by Nick's loss, to make sure that, in case today is your last day, you don't have any regrets.

As painful as it is to think it, there's a good possibility that Nick Adenhart, along with the fallen police officers, might have.

Tyler Hansbrough: A Breath of Fresh Air In This Day and Age

The Coon — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:45:28 -0400

With Monday night's North Carolina romp over Michigan State in the NCAA Championship Game, two realizations came to my mind:

1.) Another year had passed that I'd done absolutely terrible in my bracket polls.

2.) I wish there were more Tyler Hansbrough's in the world.

Let me start by saying that I don't understand all the grief this guy gets.

Constantly, I hear people say this kid is a whiner who does nothing but complain to the refs while taking flops, and that he's soft and does not have a successful NBA career ahead of him.

What I see, is a guy who works his butt off every minute of every game, giving 110 percent each and every time I've watched him.

Sure, he might flop here and there, but that's his job, and if a referee is going to give him the call, then more power to him.

As for a big NBA career, so what?

Not everybody is cut out to be the Michael Jordan's of the world. The NBA needs small contributors too, you know. Guys who put in their minutes, get the job done, and don't have their highlights at the top of every SportsCenter.

Besides, Hansbrough has endured four years of that already. Perhaps he's ready to take a backseat for a while and just get back to enjoying the game he loves.

Which brings me to my second point.

How refreshing is it, in this day and age, to see a guy actually finish his college career, putting in four years of blood, sweat, and tears, and finally seeing it all pay off in the end?

Watching him cut down the net was one of the sweetest moments in sports in a long, long time.

I'm by no means a die-hard North Carolina fan. In fact, the only reason I root for them is because I hate Duke.

How the Blue Devils, year in and year out, get a high seeding in the tournament, I'll never understand. But that's for a different time and place.

No, I don't bleed UNC blue and white. I just appreciate an athlete who makes a commitment and then actually follows through on it.

It's a rarity now to be a fan of a college team, or an athlete, and to have the pleasure of following them for four years. Hell, three years, or sometimes even two, is a gift.

Just his past week, three of college basketball's biggest stars declared themselves eligible for the NBA draft: Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, and Pitt's DeJaun Blair.

Thabeet, the eldest of the three, was a junior who elected to bypass his senior season. Griffin and Blair were both sophomores.

It's safe to say that had either of them decided to return for another year, their team's chances of competing for a national championship would have been substantially larger.

Instead, they've chosen to leave early, guaranteeing themselves first-round status in the upcoming NBA Draft, along with the millions of dollars that come with it.

Now by no means am I bashing their decision. Any time you've got money being shoved in your face, and in their cases we're talking the kind with plenty of zero's attached, you can't possibly be faulted for turning it down.

More power to these guys. They need to get it while the gettin's good.

But for Hansbrough, money was never a factor. I can't recall if he was ever considered first round material, I've only just begun to take a keen interest in college basketball, but with his skill set and attitude, I'm sure he would have made some team very happy on draft day last year.

But instead, he elected to return for his senior season, fulfilling the promise he had made to his parents, and to himself, to see this college thing through, and to take one last run at a college basketball championship.

After all, how many can actually say they've won an NCAA tournament? Hell, I can't even win one when it's fake, either in a bracket poll or via Xbox.

But my guess is that there was more to it. Like Hansbrough, I'm a college student, and unless you have been/currently are enrolled in college, you don't realize just how special the time is.

Like they always say: you don't realize what you've got until it's gone, and I'm willing to bet that Hansbrough wanted to hang around college for one more year, have some fun, play some basketball, and most importantly, be young.

There's plenty of time to be an adult, but you're only young for so long.

So while I can fully understand why Griffin, Blair, Thabeet, and the plenty of other big name college athletes who opt for the fame and fortune rather than put up with another year of thankless athleticism, it's refreshing to me to know that there are still guys out there, like Hansbrough, who truly appreciate the uniqueness that college athletics offers, to both them and the fans.

Here's hoping for more guys like him in the future.