The Best Skills Contest Ever: The Home Run Derby

In my opinion no slam dunk contest, or pro bowl in Hawaii can touch the Home Run Derby. The derby is excitement with every pitch and every stadium has something else to offer when the Derby is held there. In Baltimore we all remember when The Kid, Ken Griffey Jr. belted a shot off the warehouse in right field. Or who can forget Mark McGuire hitting monster shots over the green monster.

This year the big names are not in the Derby, there is no A-ROD, Ortiz, Ramirez. Ryan Howard, Griffey Jr. or Bonds etc. But this year the youngsters are out in full force and they all have some pop.

This year the Home Run Derby participants are as follows:

1. Josh Hamilton - Texas Rangers - 20 Home Runs this season

2. Lance Berkman - Houston Astros - 22 Home Runs this season

3. Chase Utley - Philadelphia Phillies- 25 Home Runs this season

4. Dan Uggla - Florida Marlins - 23 Home Runs this season

5. Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers - 23 Home Runs this season

6. Grady Sizemore - Cleveland Indians - 22 Home Runs this season

7. Evan Longoria - Tampa Bay Rays - 16 Home Runs this season

8. Justin Morneau - Minnesota Twins - 14 Home Runs this season



Now for my analysis and predictions. The person who I think will win and who i will be rooting for is Josh Hamliton. This guy in a press conference was talking about hitting it out of Yankee Stadium which has never been done. Plus he hits like a mack truck and has a lot of raw power. Oh yea, and pitching to him is 71 year old high school coach Clay Counsell who taught him a lot about baseball. Hamilton said if he ever got to the MLB and went into the Home Run Derby he would let him throw BP to him. Oh one more thing, the last time Counsell was in Yankee Stadium October 8th 1956, to watch Don Larsen throw the only perfect game in World Series History.

Other possible winners are going to be Chase Utley for his quick swing and his pure power, Ryan Braun (who selected his agent to pitch to him) is probably the strongest guy next to Hamilton in the Derby and Lance Berkman is swinging a really hot bat and with the short porch in right field, we should see a lot of homers.

My dark horse / sleeper pick is the rookie, Evan Longoria. The kid is amazing but has not developed his power fully yet. But his swing is deadly and he has boat loads of potential.

So sit back and relax, and let the big bats swing and the baseballs fly. Can the cathedral known to the world as Yankee Stadium hold the baseball tonight? How many balls will fly over the short porch? Will Josh Hamilton do as he said and hit it out of Yankee Stadium over the white facade? Time will tell, tonight is the Home Run Derby!