Home Run Derby will include a team competition this year

[NV]

The two most recent champions of the Home Run Derby will be teaming up to take another swing. Prince Fielder and David Ortiz were named the first captains Thursday of their respective league's teams for the 2011 State Farm Home Run Derby, and will take on some added responsibilities in the new-look event.

The Home Run Derby, which will take place on July 11 at Chase Field in Phoenix, will have a new element to it this year. The American League and National League will compete to see who hits more home runs, and Fielder and Ortiz will be tasked with filling out their roster of three additional sluggers.

Ortiz, the reigning champion of the Home Run Derby, has gone deep 68 times in his four appearances in the midseason extravaganza, second only to Ken Griffey Jr.'s total (74). Fielder, meanwhile, was the champion in 2009, and he's hit a total of 26 home runs in his two career Home Run Derby appearances.

While previous versions of the event have played up the AL vs. NL competition, this year will add even more of a team emphasis. Both Fielder and Ortiz will be able to pick any three players from their respective leagues to compete in the Home Run Derby, and they'll also select a charity that will benefit from their homer-hitting exploits.

State Farm and Major League Baseball have both pledged to donate significant amounts of money to charity, and $150,000 will be awarded to the winning captain's chosen cause. The Boys & Girls Club of America will receive $100,000 in the name of the winning captain, and $25,000 will be donated to the charity of the losing captain. The remainder will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club on behalf of State Farm and MLB.

State Farm and MLB will combine to donate $18,000 for every home run hit with a Gold Ball during the competition and State Farm has also pledged $3,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of America for every non-Gold homer.

The format to decide the Home Run Derby champion will be unchanged, but the total number of home runs hit by all players in all rounds will be tabulated to determine the winning league, captain and charity.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110630&content_id=21223802&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

A little different twist to the Home Run Derby this year.

 

[Mexi]

great idea imo

I vote Upton/Kemp/Stanton for NL!

 

[bosoxlover12]

IMO

Ortiz- Bautista- Teixiera- Kornerko

 

[DJT]

Very interesting...guess they are trying to make people wanna watch it.

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

Does anyone actually care about the Home Run Derby anymore?

Shit hasn't been cool since Sosa-Griffey-McGwire

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

IMO

Ortiz- Bautista- Teixiera- Dunn

Adam Dunn? LMFAO

You know this guy is batting .171 (.307 OBP / .312 SLG / .619 OPS) with 7 homers, right?

 

[playmaker7]

Adam Dunn? LMFAO

You know this guy is batting .171 (.307 OBP / .312 SLG / .619 OPS) with 7 homers, right?

The fuck is he putting Dunn in there when you've got dudes like Konerko and Nelson Cruz cranking balls and shit

SMH

 

[Mexi]

Does anyone actually care about the Home Run Derby anymore?

Shit hasn't been cool since Sosa-Griffey-McGwire

i dont care, but i do watch lol
but if i miss i dont sweat it

i dont remember last years

but Matt Kemp kicks ass. If he's in this, I have to watch

 

[Elite]

I still watch it, it's still just as good as it was back in the day, people are just tired of it now because it's the exact same thing as before.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Papi <3.

Can't believe how he has turned his career around after everyone thought he was done.

 

[Elite]

Juicing again lol

 

[bosoxlover12]

i was thinking of Kornerko, chill. I just knew Dunn was on CHW, but I was thinking of Kornerko smh

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

i was thinking of Kornerko, chill. I just knew Dunn was on CHW, but I was thinking of Kornerko smh

LOL I don't see the similarity between Konerko and Dunn, besides playing on the same team.

That's like confusing Adrian Gonzalez with David Ortiz, except they're at least both good and at least both bat left handed. LOL

 

[bosoxlover12]

both are power guys, both have played 1B, both were FAs

i said the wrong one, chill bro

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

both are power guys, both have played 1B, both were FAs

i said the wrong one, chill bro

Ummm... I am chill, bro...

 

[JPDaBeast23]

NL

Prince - Bruce - Kemp - Howard

AL

Ortiz - Cruz - Tex - Bautista


AL will take it.

 

[bosoxlover12]

While Fielder has not picked his guys yet, or at least to the media, Ortiz has unveiled most of his roster.


Joining Ortiz will be teammate Adrian Gonzalez and HR leader Jose Bautista. Ortiz asked Teixiera , but Mark declined because he didn't make the ASG and wanted to be with his family.

Ortiz says Option B is Robinson Cano, and Option C is Josh Hamilton

 

[bosoxlover12]

Cano will be the #4 guy for the AL

The NL will be Fielder, Rickey Weeks, Matt Kemp, and Matt Holliday

Holliday? Over Berkman?

 

[Elite]

Berk might not have wanted to do it

Who knows

 

[bosoxlover12]

Still, Holliday? Dude just hit his 12th homer today, in a 2 HR game. Fielder picked him before the game.

So Fielder picked a dude with 10 HRs to be in the ASG?