Tag: Home Run Derby

Pete Alonso’s 10 steps to winning a Home Run Derby, via Jeff Passan

Former Florida Gator and current New York Met Pete Alonso reveals to ESPN’s Jeff Passan his 10 steps to winning the derby.

New York Mets first baseman [autotag]Pete Alonso[/autotag] will look to become the first player in history to win three consecutive home run derby events.

Alonso is just the third player in MLB history to win back-to-back Home Run Derby events after taking home the 2019 and 2021 trophies; the 2020 derby was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yoenis Cespedes (2013 & 2014) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1994, 1998 & 1999) are the only other players since the event’s inception in 1985 to win back-to-back events.

Alonso will take on Braves’ right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in the first round of this year’s tournament in a battle of NL East foes. Alonso recently sat down with ESPN’s Jeff Passan and revealed to him the 10-step plan he has to winning the derby. The comments after each rule come from yours truly.

  1. Hydrate Like Crazy
    1. It seems like an obvious one but when you’re out there swinging a bat 200 times, hydrating might seem like a good idea.
  2. Get Moral Support
    1. Part of the fun of the HR derby is seeing the competitors and their support groups hanging around in front of the dugouts.
  3. The Opponent Doesn’t Matter
    1. If you think about it, you’re really only competing with yourself.
  4. Find the Right Pitcher
    1. Every kid grows up wanting to have his dad throw him baseballs at the HR derby.
  5. Know Your Zone
    1. The benefit of having a good pitcher is that they know exactly where to throw the ball. You want to highlight your positives and hide your negatives.
  6. Stick to Your Swing
    1. Routine. Routine. Routine.
  7. Use your Timeouts Smartly
    1. You want to make sure that you’re as fresh as possible throughout the round.
  8. Let Your Emotions Out
    1. It’s important to take everything in, but it’s also important to stay focused so you can do your best.
  9. Hit Tanks
    1. Like Uncle Rico, but with a baseball bat.
  10. Have A Blast
    1. What is an exhibition mid-summer tradition if it’s not fun?

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Former Gator Pete Alonso will to compete in Home Run Derby, MLB All-Star Game

Pete “Polar Bear” Alonso will compete for his third-straight Home Run Derby crown while also playing in the All-Star Game.

Former Florida Gator and current Mets first baseman [autotag]Pete Alonso[/autotag] will defend his Home Run Derby crown and participate in MLB’s All-Star Game next week in Los Angeles.

Alonso is just the third player in MLB history to win back-to-back Home Run Derby events after taking home the 2019 and 2021 trophies; the 2020 derby was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yoenis Cespedes (2013 & 2014) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1994, 1998 & 1999) are the only other players since the event’s inception in 1985 to win back-to-back events.

Griffey Jr. is the event’s only three-time winner in the event’s history and Alonso is looking to join him as the only three-time champ. If the former Gator wins this year’s event, he would become the first person to win three derbys in a row. The full list of participants will be revealed closer to Monday, July 18th, the date of this year’s event.

Along with attempting to make history, Alonso will also participate in MLB’s All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 19. He joins Mets teammates Edwin Diaz, Starling Marte and Jeff McNeil as All-Star Games reserves. Alonso is the only former Gator to be named to MLB’s All-Star Game.

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Former major-league pitcher takes heat after Trey Mancini misses game

Oof.

Fresh off missing a season because of colon cancer, Baltimore Orioles slugger Trey Mancini has been quite the story. Entering Tuesday, the former Notre Dame standout has 21 home runs and 66 RBIs to go with a slash line of .262/.328/.452 over 128 games. Playing nearly every game for the worst team in baseball given his recent history is nothing short of remarkable, but it also can take a toll on the body. He missed the Orioles’ 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Monday, and we found out why afterwards:

Soon after, former major-league relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth took to Twitter to go after the idea of general soreness. Though he didn’t specifically name Mancini, it was easy to figure out which player he most likely was referring to:

Twitter immediately went after Farnsworth. The statement itself was bad, but the player he appeared to be going after made it look even worse. The backlash became so intense that Farnsworth decided to try and clarify what he meant in a follow-up tweet Tuesday. However, he didn’t issue any apologies:

It’s a shame that Mancini’s story has come back into the limelight for the wrong reasons. Everyone knew it by the time he finished as the runner-up in this year’s Home Run Derby. He shouldn’t have to be defended for playing a season like his on his own terms, especially when he’s been excelling, but here we are. Hopefully, the final month of his season can be peaceful from here on.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gave Juan Soto a great mic’d-up pep talk before swing-off vs. Shohei Ohtani

This was fun.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. elected to not participate in this year’s Home Run Derby, which was a bit of a bummer because we all wanted to see him crush baseballs through Denver’s altitude (he saved that for the actual All-Star Game).

But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t heavily focused on Monday’s epic Home Run Derby.

The first round between the Nationals’ Juan Soto and Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani went into two tiebreaker rounds. The first tiebreaker was an extra minute while the second tiebreaker was limited to three swings.

There was a lot riding on those three swings, but before Soto went 3 for 3 in the swing-off, Guerrero seemed to be the one to offer some crucial advice to the 22-year-old.

In mic’d-up MLB video from the Home Run Derby, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Guerrero gave Soto a pep talk before that final swing-off. Guerrero said (translated to English):

“It’s three swings. Take your time. Boom. You hit it. Take your time, breathe and get back to it. Don’t just swing. Take your time.”

And then Tatis finished it off with “in slow motion!”

Hey, it was solid advice, and Soto took it to heart. He chose the exact three pitches he wanted to drive and put the pressure on Ohtani with the perfect tiebreaker round. Ohtani would get eliminated on his first swing.

But overall, that was an excellent look at the friendly atmosphere between the game’s biggest stars in Denver. You love to see that.

Of course, no participant could stop the Mets’ Pete Alonso and the real MVP … his BP pitcher Dave Jauss.

https://youtu.be/pgHz7vbqMWw

Watch: ESPN Cover Story covers Trey Mancini’s colon cancer battle

The Notre Dame alumnus has had quite the journey recently.

Before covering Trey Mancini’s near-win in the Home Run Derby, ESPN debuted a new piece about the Notre Dame product. Mancini, who is back with the Baltimore Orioles after missing all of the 2020 season, is one of baseball’s feel-good stories this year. Watching him play over the past few months, one never would have guessed that he isn’t far removed from stage 3 colon cancer. However, that’s exactly the case, and ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenburg set out to tell Mancini’s story ahead of MLB’s All-Star festivities:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlVUNoOonf4

It doesn’t matter how long someone goes through chemotherapy or if the cancer even goes away. The whole thing is an experience no one should ever have to go through. While we don’t know if a cure for cancer will be developed during our lifetime, simply telling stories like Mancini’s gives us the motivation to keep that journey going. Every little bit will help us achieve that ultimate goal.

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Trey Mancini at the Home Run Derby: photo gallery

Look at the Notre Dame product on his big night.

Trey Mancini may not have won this year’s Home Run Derby, but he won plenty of support with the 59 homers he slugged over three rounds. The Notre Dame product and Baltimore Orioles slugger is coming off of stage 3 colon cancer, but there was much more to the story than that. He had Irish pitching coach Chuck Ristano as his personal pitcher, fulfilling a promise he made after the duo teamed up to help him win the 2012 Big East Home Run Derby. Although it seemed far-fetched at the time, things always have a way of working out.

Were it not for Pete Alonso of the New York Mets putting on a winning show for his second straight win in this event, we’d be talking about something too whimsical for real life the comprehend. Alas, Mancini will have to settle for the title of Home Run Derby runner-up. Here are some images from his big night in Denver:

Baseball fan somehow OK after flipping over a railing while trying to catch a ball at the Home Run Derby

Thankfully, it was only his pride that was bruised.

We already have an early highlight from the Home Run Derby and surprisingly enough it isn’t related to Shohei Ohtani.

During Monday’s contest while Matt Olson was at bat, the Oakland Athletics first baseman crushed a baseball out to deep right field for a home run. One fan in the stands thought it was his lucky day and went up for the ball. Unfortunately for him, his attempted catch sent him up and over the entrance railing to the upper deck and he came crashing to the ground.

Thankfully, the fan ended up being okay, as it was quite a scary moment as it happened, but it seems the only thing bruised was his pride.

Ryan Fagan, senior MLB writer for Sporting News, found the fan in the stands whose unfortunate highlight made national TV and got his side of the story.

“I want it and I wanted it bad so I kinda just threw over the edge of the railing to try to get it,” the fan said of his unfortunate tumble.

Even worse, he didn’t catch the ball, as it bounced right off his glove and feel to someone else. Talk about a bad break all around.

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2021 MLB Home Run Derby live stream, TV channel, start time, odds, brackets, how to watch

The 2021 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby will return to Coors Field on Monday night as part of the All-Star festivities.

The 2021 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby will return to Coors Field on Monday night as part of the All-Star festivities.

The Home Run Derby will have eight participants including Joey Gallo, 2019 winner Pete Alonso, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and the hometown favorite, Trevor Story from the Rockies.

This will be one you won’t want to miss, here is everything you need to know to catch the Home Run Derby tonight.

2021 MLB Home Run Derby

  • When: Monday, July 12
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

2021 Home Run Derby Lineup

  • Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
  • Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers
  • Matt Olson, Oakland Athletics
  • Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
  • Pete Alonso, New York Mets
  • Trey Mancini, Baltimore Orioles
  • Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies
  • Juan Soto, Washington Nationals

2021 MLB Home Run Derby, First Round Matchups

  • No. 1 Shohei Ohtani (Angels) vs.  No. 8 Juan Soto (Nationals)
  • No. 2 Joey Gallo (Rangers) vs. No. 7 Trevor Story (Rockies)
  • No. 3 Matt Olson (Athletics) vs. No. 6 Trey Mancini (Orioles)
  • No. 4 Salvador Perez (Royals) vs. No. 5 Pete Alonso (Mets)

MLB Odds and Betting Lines

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Monday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

S. Ohtani (-200)

J. Gallo (+450)

P. Alonso (+500)

Want some action on the Home Run Derby? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

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Watch: Notre Dame pitching coach Chuck Ristano talks Trey Mancini

Hear some valuable insights from one half of the Notre Dame contingent for this year’s Home Run Derby.

The Home Run Derby, to be held one day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Denver, will have a Notre Dame flavor. That’s because Irish product and Baltimore Orioles slugger Trey Mancini is competing. What’s more, he’s inviting Irish pitching Chuck Ristano to be his personal pitcher for the event, fulfilling a promise Mancini made when the two teamed up for Mancini’s win in the 2012 Big East Home Run Derby. It’s an anecdote mention in an interview Ristano gave to MASN, which broadcasts Orioles games:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R795yg8rO0

Ristano gives plenty of insight as it pertains to Mancini’s connection with Notre Dame. Among them are Mancini completing his degree requirements at the university while he played in the minor leagues and the impact of former Irish catcher Ricky Palmer, who lost his battle with cancer whereas Mancini survived his. Most importantly, Mancini’s connection with his alma mater has not wavered in the least, and that should make all Irish fans proud.