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July 9, 2007
Yep, it’s Home Run Derby time, and I’ll admit I enjoy watching major league sluggers hit baseballs out of the park. I mean, that’s what we go to baseball games for, right? The action, the scoring, the homers.
I’ve been a faithful watcher of this event for the past five or six years, ever since I started working on my own baseball-related series. So I have a few Derbys that stand out in my mind.
My least favorite Derby was the one from two years ago (I think) when they had it divided up by country. Eight guys from eight different countries tried to hit ball after ball out of the park. In my opinion, it was the most boring Home Run Derby ever — names you didn’t know and all country-oriented. I mean, come on. Outside of the World Series and the playoffs, this is America’s big baseball event. We don’t need a mini-Olympics.
My favorite Derby was in ‘02 or ‘03 when White Sox Paul Konerko was robbed by Giambi Juice of a chance to make it to the final round and win the whole thing. (Okay, it wasn’t my favorite because he got robbed, but because a White Sox player did well. It’s always nice to see one of our own players in the national spotlight.)
This year, there’ll be no White Sox player in the derby, but I’ll still be watching. It’s in San Francisco’s very cool ballpark. I’m hoping they get most of the best home run hitters in the thing. And if they do, we’ll be watching ball after ball splashdown in the bay, listening to Chris Berman saying, “Back back back back back — gone!”
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3 Responses to “Back Back Back Back Back”
I love baseball, too, although I haven’t had much time to follow it lately. Back in the nineties when the Braves first started doing so well, it was really exciting, and I had to watch every night. (I lived in Atlanta.) The way the Braves are doing this year, it’s just as well I don’t have time.
I’m curious about your baseball series. Is it fiction or nonfiction?
A homerun derby at that launching pad of a ballpark in San Francisco should be terrific! Remember how the ball flew at Candlestick Park?
I’m a card carrying Die Hard Cubs Fan, and I root real hard for the Twins too. What a wild weekend between the Twins and W. Sox. Twins squandered all their runs in the doubleheader and had no gas left for the weekend games.
Sounds like you’re going to have lots of fun!
I used to be a Diamondbacks fan, but that was a long time ago when they were good. Not that I’m a fair-weather fan. Really. Although maybe they’ll be good this year? OK, I’ll admit it, I only watch when my hubby does, or when Dr. Phil is interrupted.