IDT 7/8/19: Alonso vs Seven Randos

[seawolf17]

8pm ET on ESPN.



Alonso vs Carlos Santana in the first round.



https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/07/07/USAT/beb0626c-38cf-45a1-88f0-a256c35195ba-mlb-home-run-derby-bracket-2019-v2_Social.png>

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

don;t care about this but I will root for LaCock

[Frayed Knot]

I almost never watch the HR darby and if I do it's drop-in/drop-out. I understand they've pared it down somewhat so it now takes less than the 9 hours it used to go.

Mainly though it's just a gimmick and I could do with less of those. It's one of those non-event events that have become popular to televise in recent years: drafts,

selection shows, schedule reveals, signing days, and the like. And like those, this is an example of a perfect ESPN event which ESPN then proceeds to ESPN the hell

outta it. Perhaps I'm still afraid Chris Berman is going to show up and scream at me all night even though the four-letter network recently put him out to pasture.



Maybe I'll DVR it tonight so I can FF through most just to see how Pete is doing. I can probably turn it into a half-hour show that way.

[Guest 41Forever]

I watch it because I love all things All-Star Game, but the format used to be awful and it's been on in the back-back-back-background while I work on something else. (Tonight I'm making cookies during the time when Polar Bear Pete isn't on.)



This field seems a long way from the days of McGwire and Sosa. I know Vlad Jr. is there based on phenom hype and name recognition, but his 8 homers might be the lowest total for anyone appearing in this thing.



On the plus side, this could be the a nice opportunity for Alonso to get some national attention and bolster ROY consideration. One the downside, if it screws up his swing, well, we're running out of things to root for this season.

[metirish]

I'll watch for Pete , but drop in and out

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, only 8 HRs for little Vladdy but he's also been in the bigs for like 20 minutes so far.

I'd say the roster of mostly young players: Vlad, Alonso, Acuna, Peterson, Bregman, makes this a better thing. You don't NEED to have Harper & Trout to make this work,

certainly not in the same way the NBA dunk contest lost all its glamour once the stars quit participating and rosters became a roll call of guys no one ever heard of.



Plus if Pete, or one of the other rookies or near-rooks win it, they'd come close to tripling their salary for the year. With the ML minimum salary somewhat above 500K,

the $1 million prize -- something Harper, Machado et al consider tip money -- suddenly bumps the winner up to over $1.5. Lots of incentive & enthusiasm.

[G-Fafif]

Pete's using a specially designed bat he calls Haley's Comet, named for his fiancée, and also because he says he's gonna put some balls in orbit.



I'm somewhere between loving his flair and cringing at what karma might think.

[Edgy MD]

I don't get how the bracket features three National Leaguers and an American Leaguer on the right and three American Leaguers and a National Leaguer on the left. Is there an N vs. A element to this anymore?

[Edgy MD]

Alex Bregman is a heckuva player, but every time I hear his name as a player for Houston, my first thought is that he's an off-brand knockoff of Lance Berkman.

[Guest 41Forever]

I like seeing them wearing their real uniforms and not the batting practice jerseys and caps. Don't like those crossed bats caps.



Pete's doing well in the interview, praising Frazier and Cano -- two past champs -- for advice.

[Guest 41Forever]

Young Vladdie sure does hit bombs!

[Edgy MD]

Kinda tubby tho.



I think Frazier is the all-time leader in Derby homers or something.

[Edgy MD]

How furious are the #MAGA trolls to hear Spanish interviews in the middle of a Unitedstatesican event?

[Edgy MD]

Why is there no camera tracking the balls? I'm just watching a guy swing.

[whippoorwill]

Chris Berman ruined this



Go Pete!

[Edgy MD]

Chapman's Dad isn't getting enough over the plate.

[whippoorwill]

What kind of cookies 41?

[Edgy MD]

Mark Teixiera: You've gotta have that launch angle. You've gotta have that exit velocity. Big league teams are NOT calling up slap hitters any more.



Jeff McNeil: Eat me.

[Edgy MD]

Acuña likes hitting them into the woods in center.

[whippoorwill]

Edgy MD wrote: Mark Teixiera: You've gotta have that launch angle. You've gotta have that exit velocity. Big league teams are NOT calling up slap hitters any more. Jeff McNeil: Eat me.

God I hated the trigonometry talk on the Fox game the other night. Just play ball

[Edgy MD]

Josh Bell's batting practice guy hums them in harder than the other guys.

[Guest 41Forever]

=whippoorwill post_id=15416 time=1562633385 user_id=79]
What kind of cookies 41?

[Edgy MD]

Cool to see an almost Wahoo-free stadium in Cleveland.

[Guest 41Forever]

Based on what Santana is doing, I like Pete's chances to get to the next round.



OE: Santana got into a good little groove there to boost his totals a bit.

[Edgy MD]

I think switch hitters should switch sides during their timeout.



I don't have a lot to back that up, but I'd enjoy it a little more.



Alonso doesn't have a big number to beat.

[Edgy MD]

Kevin Morgan isn't grooving 'em.

[Guest 41Forever]

Uh oh.



We should have our bullpen guys throw to him. We know they give up homers.

[bmfc1]

Good line, 41Forever.

His pitcher isn't doing him any favors.

[Edgy MD]

Bear should've brought Matz to pitch to him.

[Guest 41Forever]

Phew.