Getty Images We made it, you guys.
Another Home Run Derby is in the rear view mirror, as Prince Fielder defeated Jose Bautista in the finals tonight to take home this year’s crown. It was Fielder’s second Home Run Derby win, the other coming back in 2009 in St. Louis. Ken Griffey, Jr., who won in 1994, 1998 and 1999, is the only other player who has won the competition more than once. Yes, they apparently keep records of this stuff.
Fielder slugged a total of 28 homers on the night, including five in the first round, 11 in the second round and 12 in the finals. Plenty of fountain splashes were had. Fielder’s 12 homers in the final round actually tied Robinson Cano‘s final-round record from last year. He also had the longest blast of the night, checking in at 476 feet.
Bautista, who advanced by defeating Mark Trumbo in a swing-off, managed seven homers in the finals. He had 20 overall, including a first-round best of 11.
The National League was suffering from a serious lack of Giancarlo Stanton and it showed in the final tally, as they were crushed 61-21. NL captain Matt Kemp hit one only home run while Carlos Beltran was the only member of the squad to advance to the second round.
While the AL cruised to victory, they didn’t get any help from their captain Cano. He ended up with a goose egg, much to the delight of the Kauffman Stadium faithful. You see, the home crowd was upset that Cano didn’t pick Billy Butler for his squad. And they really let him have it. Almost uncomfortably so.
This is actually the second straight year that the home fans booed one of the Home Run Derby participants, as the Fielder was jeered by the Chase Field crowd last year for not picking Justin Upton. Next year the All-Star Game takes place at Citi Field, so expect lots of disappointment when Mike Nickeas isn’t chosen to participate.
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Joe Maddon reverses himself on Yunel Escobar’s gesticulations
May 22, 2013, 10:00 AM EDT
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On Monday Joe Maddon said he wasn’t pleased with Melky Cabrera making the “safe” sign as he crossed home plate following a home run in Monday’s loss. Last night he changed his mind on that. From Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times: “Some people point to the sky, he shows a safe sign. For…
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Apparently MLB is going to ignore Alex Sanabia throwing a spitball
May 22, 2013, 9:40 AM EDT
Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised about this. Baseball ignores a lot of things which happen in Miami these days. And they’re not terribly big on paying attention to things which can clearly be seen on video replay. But I have to say, totally ignoring Marlins pitcher Alex Sanabia hocking a loogie on a baseball the…
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Our Blue Jays commenters are fit to be tied today due to the called strikes to Melky Cabrera in the ninth inning of last night’s Jays-Rays game. Strikes one and three to Melky were clearly outside. Here’s Brooks Baseball’s plot of the at bat: Pitch one and three were called strikes, pitch two was…
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Ned Yost kills our buzz: apparently there is no “third baseman tree”
May 22, 2013, 8:52 AM EDT
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This is a few days old and I have no idea how I missed it, but when Ned Yost was asked over the weekend about what he’s gonna do with the Royals struggling third baseman Mike Moustakas, he painted an image for us which, I feel anyway, will form a larger part of his legacy…
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Pablo Sandoval walks off the Giants, Bryce Harper feared the wall
May 22, 2013, 8:23 AM EDT
Sounds like it was a wild game in San Francisco. Stephen Strasburg had a filthy changeup working and allowed only one run over seven, but the Giants came back. The first big hit: Gregor Blanco tripling in a run in the ninth. The bigger hit: Pablo Sandoval hitting a two-run homer to walk it off…
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Rockies 5, Diamondbacks 4: One of four games to require ten frames last night. This from the AP gamer: Reliever Matt Reynolds tried to outthink his former teammate, guess what pitch Wilin Rosario would be looking for and throw the opposite. Only, Rosario knew Reynolds was trying to get inside his head, so … Long story short, Rosario spent the last…
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Saving the home run for last, Mike Trout recorded his first career cycle Tuesday as the Angels crushed the Mariners 12-0. Trout struck out in his first at-bat of the night before singling in the third, tripling in the fourth, doubling in the sixth and homering in the eighth. He ended the game with five…
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FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi reports that the Orioles will call up top pitching prospect Kevin Gausman to start Thursday in their series opener versus the Blue Jays. Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told MLB.com just one week ago that the 22-year-old right-hander was “doing fine at Double-A” and not close to a promotion, but…
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Finally some good news for the Anaheim Angels. According to beat writer Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, staff ace Jered Weaver could be activated from the disabled list for a start next week if everything goes well during his appearance in an extended spring training game on Wednesday. Weaver has been out since…
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Chris Sale won’t start Wednesday against the Red Sox because of left shoulder tendinitis
May 21, 2013, 9:20 PM EDT
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Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com has the news: Chris Sale has been scratched from Wednesday’s start with mild tendinitis in his left posterior shoulder, the team announced Tuesday. … A team official said Sale is expected to make his next start on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. Hector Santiago will take the mound in his place. Sale has…
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Royals catcher Salvador Perez left Monday’s game against the Astros after slamming into the fence in front of the home dugout at Houston’s Minute Maid Park while trying to track down a foul popup. Perez has been diagnosed with a deep right hip bruise, according to beat writer Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star,…
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From Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com comes word that the Phillies have scratched second baseman Chase Utley from Tuesday’s game against the Marlins because of pain in his right side. The Phillies aren’t giving out many details, only saying that Utley will be reevaluated by team doctors on Wednesday. He apparently felt the discomfort while taking pregame batting…
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Anthony Rendon, Miguel Sano rate as 2013′s top minor league performers
May 21, 2013, 6:43 PM EDT
AP
The top of the minor league OPS leaderboard is typically littered with Triple-A veterans and A-ball players too old for their leagues. That’s still the case this year, but numbers two, three and four on the list are all top prospects. Minor league OPS leaders (minimum 100 at-bats) Scott Van Slyke (26 Dodgers): 1.236 OPS…
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MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports that the Rangers have scratched Nick Tepesch from his scheduled Wednesday start against the A’s due to a blister on his right middle finger. Ross Wolf will be called up from Triple-A Round Rock to pitch in his place. Tepesch developed the blister Friday evening on the only slider he threw…
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Sorry. That headline may have been a bit dramatic. But see, I turn 40 in July. And while I’m generally cool with that — and while I am, in all honestly, in The Best Shape of My Life — it has dawned on me pretty clearly that we are almost to the point where there…
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From the press release machine: The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Milwaukee Brewers Minor League left-handed pitcher Alan Williams has received a 50-game suspension without pay after a second positive test for a drug of abuse in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Williams, who…
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As expected the Cubs activated Matt Garza from the disabled list to face the Pirates tonight, which will be his first start since being shut down with elbow problems last July. His recovery from the elbow injury was delayed by a lat injury suffered during spring training, which is how he ended up missing 10…
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Larry Dierker has been part of the Astros family forever. He played there from 1964 through 1976, served as a radio broadcaster from 1979 through 1996 and managed the team from 1997 through 2001, winning the Manager of the Year award in 1998 and winning four division titles in his five seasons at the helm.…
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Jair Jurrjens’ return to the majors was a brief one, as the Orioles sent him back to Triple-A to make room on the roster for Miguel Gonzalez coming off the disabled list. Jurrjens predictably struggled in his first big-league start since July of 2012, allowing four runs in five innings against the Rays. He had…
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