Bonds just hit a couple really LONG homers...

I liked the gag about walking him..

Say, how many Yankees went down with "Intestinal Parasites" this year, at least Giambi and Brown right?? Anyone else think that's odd?

Berkman is pleasing the crowd, and he might surprise, but I don't know if he has the staying power

When Bonds isn't talking to media who are asking him repetitive pain-in-the-ass questions he's remarkably likeable.

I think Brown's wife had the parasites as well. I don't think it's odd at all personally.

I think Brown's wife had the parasites as well.

Should Brown be talking to his wife about Giambi?

Sorry it's Giambi's wife.

Kristian Giambi has been diagnosed with intestinal parasites, just as her husband and Yankees pitcher Kevin Brown were in the last week.

I guess that takes a little bit of steam out of Daryn's beating around the steroid bush.

How's the derby coming along?

Tony Pena? I thought they might had had the Rocket toss to the hitters. If Ortiz can pull this off I'll be ecstatic.

Steroids?... No, I was thinking they should fire a club house "buffet manager"...

I really hate those live-for-TV interviews...

you interview differently for life and TV...
basically makes the live crowd feel like "extras on a movie"

First round:

Bonds: 8
Blalock: 3
Berkman: 7
Tejada: 7
Thome: 4
Ortiz: 3

Sammy's up now.

I thought Berkman was going to hit the million dollar sign. And what a crime that Ortiz's towering shot that smacked into a girder on the roof counted as an out.

Sammy Struggles then hits one over the "roof"....

that last one that went out, looked like it was shot from an eXTCra large Rocket from a Bottle

Grr..
Don't change your thought mid stroke..

that last one looked like a eXTCra large Rocket from a Bottle

Sammy only got five, but even weirder, Frank Robinson was smiling and eating an ice cream bar.

Look at Sosa, he hates to step back, that's a smile that might crack..
even Griffey who can't play can't stop the his grin from going wide today

I wonder if Ortiz's shot fell victim to a known "ground rule"..

Your Round 1 leader - Rafael Palmeiro?

Hey, is Palmeiro the only guy not wearing a "special" All-Star crested hat? It looks like a new hat, though, not like his hat he's been wearing all year.

Mr. Viagra leads the competition.

Your Round 1 leader - Rafael Palmeiro?

I knew it all along. Let's just hope he can keep it up. (ok, no more viagra jokes from me)

Based on the fact that Palmeiro is the only guy not wearing an All Star crest on his cap, I am going to pick him to win the second round.

New Era Rep: Here's you hat, Raffy.

Raffy: Why isn't it like Sammy's?

New Era Rep: Sammy's an all-star, you're not.

Raffy: What a farce. I get the shaft but the steroid-using bat corker get all the love.

New Era Rep: I thought you were all for performance enhancing drugs and improving you wood.

Good work, Fawaz. :)

Ah...so THAT'S why Houston's ballpark favours hitters. Thanks for the demo Mr. Berkman.

Just started watching in time to see Berkman's 10 homeruns. Have they said why he's batting right handed (other than he apparently has tons of power right handed)?

His yearly splits have him much stronger as a LH batter, particularly in the power department.

He's batting RH because of the short porch in left.

Yes, he likes the shorter distance in left field. In the first round he put a bunch of them in the porch that would maybe have not left the park in right.

That was just faaaaaantastic work by Berkman.

I especially liked when he got under the ball and muttered "Berkman, you idiot" to himself.

The radio guys theorized that Berkman was batting right because the ballpark's dimensions favour right-handed hitters- it's about 10 feet shorter to left.

Holy crap, here comes Tejada!

Spectacular!

Tejada a new one round record with 15.

Tejada a new one round record with 15.

Yes, and Reggie still manages to steer the discussion so that it's all about Reggie. What an arrogant boob.

Did you see how close Barry came to the million dollar sign? After telling the guys that he was going to try to hit it? Color me impressed :-P

And Berman was right when he told us not to sell Mr. Tejada short...

Well, it's not as if Tejada really did anything. As Joe tells us, it's the pitcher that really matters in the homerun derby.

And I end up winning with my Tejada pick. Where was this when I picked Orlando Cabrera in my 5x5 league?

Bragging rights to Tassle! Congrats.

Tejada was just fan-freaking-tastic. That was awesome (and I wish I'd known about this thread last night, or I would have shown up). Anyway, that was a little flash of why Tejada is my (co-)favourite ballplayer.

I'm sure that sometime in the next week, we'll see someone talk about a little player and his low ceiling. This despite the fact that a guy who's listed at 5-9 and really about 5-8, not only won the home run derby but also hit the longest shot of the night.

Chuck and Fawaz managed to highlight exactly what is so hateful about ESPN. If they're just going to have Reggie yack about Reggie, ask stupid, insulting questions of Frank Robinson, and let Joe Morgan run his mouth on autopilot, why have a home run derby? Why not just play old reruns of Mad About You and let those guys talk over that?

On the other hand, Craig, ESPN does grant us the privelige of listening to Dan Shulman, and what a pleasure that is. Great voice, intelligence, and a quiet determination to learn the game. Heck, he might be a lurker here.

So, hit the mute button on your TV remote and choose the sound salvation.

Thanks, Craig for organizing the home run derby contest, and my congratulations to Tassle on choosing the winner. Coach, I pass Berkman on to you for 1 day (as your All-Star MVP pick), and then reclaim him- he's my NL MVP pick. He's got some work to do.

I just had to say that ESPN's coverage was absolutely brutal. Its the finals and we get shots of the crowd and whoever was being interviewed at the time, meanwhile there is a homerun derby going on!

Was it just SN Pacific that delayed the derby until 8pm pst, rather than 5pm live?

Nope. Sportsnet West had the same crappy arrangement. I just went to the Score and found out who won. Of course, I then had no reason to watch the tape delayed advertisingfest on Sportsnet.

Good work, Fawaz. :)

All that creativity and I missed a "rocket" comment by Fawaz..
I'm not worthy! :o)

Tejada has always been my favorite player. Even though he won mvp, millions of fans still don't know how great this guy is becoming. Check out his range factor compared to the shortstops we see on web-gems night after night. 75 rbi's with about half of their games in the cold or rain. 11 sac flies the first half compared to 4 or 5 for most good hitters. He only walked 25 times but struck out just 28 times. I think it will take awhile to get rid of that terrible hitting philosophy that the A's preach where if you swing at early hittable pitches and make an out you're liable to get a registered letter from Billy Beane. I really believe that Miggy has a shot at becoming the greatest shortstop that ever played the game.