Home Run Derby Thoughts

So here was my night last night.  

I get home about 8:30.  Had Pedro Alvarez not been participating in the Home Run Derby, I would not have turned the TV on, but I did, just as Yeonis Cespedes was finishing his 17 homer stint, and just as Pedro was stepping into the batter's box.  Yes, I did watch his performance.  I'm glad he put on a show of sorts.  Some of his six HR's were real dingers, but I was glad to see that he did not appear to be over extending himself and swinging from his heals on every pitch.  I was also glad that he got passed up and did not go into the second round.

I will admit that I then watched Chris Davis and Bryce Harper take their cuts.  I'll tell you what, from the time I first became aware of Bryce Harper in that Sports lllustrated cover story when he was 16 years old, he has been a very hard person to like.  I guess he is this generation's version of Pete Rose - you like him if he plays for YOUR team, but can't stand him if he plays for the Other Guys.  (And admit it, Steelers fans, Hines Ward and James Harrison were those kinds of guys, too.)

Anyway, once I realized that Pedro was not going to advance to the next round, I switched to "The Big Break" (Spoiler Alert:  Was glad to see Chad get eliminated.  He was one obnoxious dude), and to my DVR'd "Pardon the Interuption".

When those shows were done, I went back to the HRD in time for the final Harper-Cespedes showdown.  Harper really looked like he was working hard.  Cespedes made it look really easy.

And Chris Berman was everything I expected him to be during the telecast.  Take that any way you wish.

Derby Disaster Averted

Has there ever been anything more overblown and and overwrought than the angst generated by David Wright's failing to select Pedro Alvarez to compete in the Home Run Derby at this year's All-star Game festivities?  Let's forget for a moment whether or not you like or dislike the HRD, or whether or not it serves any purpose other than filling up ESPN airspace and serving to further inflate Chris Berman's Hindenberg-sized ego, or whether or not it is a good idea to have a player subjectively choose who participates.  Those are separate questions and debates.  Rather, let's look at the reaction to Pedro's non-selection.

I was driving home from State College on Monday evening and listening to the Pirate game on the radio when the news was announced and to hear Tim Neverette's and Bob Walk's reactions and outrage, well, you would have thought that Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor once again.  Walk even suggested and encouraged fans to come out the the Mets series this weekend to boo Wright and "to let him have it".   That is so wrong on so many levels, I'm not sure where to begin.  And the next night, the announcers didn't let up.  Greg Brown celebrated Pedro's home run that game by saying "Take that, David Wright!"

All this over the Home Run Derby?  Really?  Has everyone lost their minds?

Interestingly enough, the one person I DIDN'T hear complain was Pedro Alvarez!

Well, the crisis has been averted, and Carlos Gonzalez has dropped out and Pedro has been selected to replace him.  All is right with the world, except for this.  There has been enough empirical evidence that players' performance drops off in the second half of a season after they have participated in the HRD.  Seems crazy, but check our Bobby Abreu.  I just hope that nothing like that happens to Pedro Alvarez over the rest of the season, but if it does, I hope all the people who whined about Pedro NOT being selected remember how they were bitching this past week.