2007 Home Run Derby IGT

[seawolf17]

Your competitors:

NL: Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, and Matt Holliday
AL: Vlad Guerrero, Justin Morneau, Magglio Ordonez, and Alex Rios

Howard is your defending champ, Holliday and Rios are your token guys-who-hit-one-home-run-and-exit-after-the-first-round.

Chris Berman is on hand to provide the horrifically annoying backbackbacks, Joe Morgan is there for the insightful commentary that anyone who's ever seen a baseball game could provide, and Dusty Baker is the third man, who will add the occasional "this guy's a very good hitter."

Let's get started, folks!

[bmfc1]

Why couldn't Chris Berman be the one leaving ESPN and not Dan Patrick?

[seawolf17]

Looks like I might have misjudged Matt Holliday.

[seawolf17]

I'm not saying they have to be tiny Garry Maddoxes, but why can't the kids in the outfield ever make a catch? It happens every year. Are they just the unathletic children of the all-stars?

[seawolf17]

A-Rod, too fucking cool to wear an all-star uniform like the rest of the All-Stars. I'd wish that one of the other players would smash a pie in his face during his little interview, but maybe the other players don't even like him that much.

Douche.

[Guest Kid Carsey]

Too many interviews, jeez next they'll be visiting Mark McGwire on his deck
bbq'n with twenty disadvantaged inner-city kids telling us about the virtues
of hard work and sticktoittiveness and not to take drugs.

[seawolf17]

Vlad Guerrero hits three weak balls, then David Ortiz comes in with a fancy wooden bat case, throws Vlad's old bat away and gives him a new bat from the case. Vlad is now crushing balls all over the park.

Can I hire David Ortiz as a nanny? He'd be so much fun.

[seawolf17]

Chris Berman: "Well, you can't say 'backbackback' for all of them."
Ms. Wolf: "Coulda fooled me."

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

The older I get, the more Berman and his schtick annoys me.

[seawolf17]

I knew Dusty'd contribute to the broadcast.

"I think his strategy is to hit the ball over the wall."

[Centerfield]

seawolf is cracking me up in this thread. He's in a nice little rhythm.

[seawolf17]

I almost wish they'd stop hitting home runs, if just so Berman will stop just randomly naming San Francisco landmarks. "That one's halfway to Alcatraz! That ball's going to Fisherman's Wharf!" I can't tell who's driving me more crazy. I'd rather listen to Steve Somers call this on radio.

I do, however, like how excited Jose Reyes keeps getting.

Alex Rios is winning this thing, by the way. I officially apologize for belittling him and Matt Holliday in my intro.

[bmfc1]

Is there a city in Northern California that Berman hasn't mentioned yet?

[metirish]

Centerfield wrote: seawolf is cracking me up in this thread. He's in a nice little rhythm.

So true...I'm cracking up here....love the Dusty remark....

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Vlad hitting with no hat/helmet on really weirds me out.

[metirish]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Vlad hitting with no hat/helmet on really weirds me out.

And being fucking selective with what pitches he swings at...

[metirish]

Vlad hit one over 500 foot,just saw the suit Dusty Baker is wearing.....horrible.

[seawolf17]

Well, you missed A-Rod's suit.

Willie McCovey is a classy, classy guy. He was on crutches during the opening ceremonies... is he injured, or does he have an illness?

Hey, so that's what JJ Putz looks like. Thanks for carrying my fantasy team this year, JJ.

[seawolf17]

The Tickle Me Chris Berman doll would say two things, over and over: "Backbackback" and "Look At That!"

We're looking, Chris. It's TV. It's what it's there for.

I know there's a certain amount of monotony in the HR Derby, where you're really watching the same thing over and over and over for three hours. But "Look at that!" gets old quick.

[seawolf17]

Dusty Baker was just talking about his son imitating Albert Pujols. Do you think that, say, David Newhan's kids ever emulate Newhan, or the little Easleys hit pretend singles up the middle in their backyard?

"Hey, why don't you try using my stance?"
"Because you suck, Dad."

[Frayed Knot]

McCovey has various physical problems.
Those crutches are neither a new nor a short-term thing.



I haven't been watching this thing but how the hell can it be still going?
Didn't it start around 8?

I figured that ESPN - having run about 1,468 commercials all week for that 'Bronx is Burning' show - would have had it finish more or less on time.



Berman's a crime against humanity.

[seawolf17]

My wife asked me that during the last promo for "B is B." She said "that's really starting at 10:00? How is that possible when I'm always asleep before the end of the Derby?"

That show looks really horrendously boring, by the way. Maybe it's just that they're showing bad clips, but if that's representative of the show...

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sometimes you don't chat with the 'wolf. You just keep feeding him quarters.

[Frayed Knot]

ESPN's track record of self-produced movies and mini-series isn't good, but Bronx is Burning is adapted from a real good book and the reviews have been at least decent.
I probably would have given it a shot if they got around to putting it on tonight ... not that they won't rerun it.