Players Uninterested in Home Run Derby?

The people heading the Home Run Derby this year may have hit a small snag.

They can't get AL players to agree to go out and swing a baseball bat 100 times as hard as they can trying to hit as many homeruns as possible just to mess up there swing for the rest of the season.

As of right now all four possessions for the NL hitters have been filled by Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez and just recently two AL players have accepted (how reluctantly we may never know) to enter the competition: Joe Mauer and Brandon Inge.

It's not that amazing that some of these AL players may be reluctant to destroy there swing to win an event that is supposed to be for fun and for fan enjoyment. I'm not trying to denounce the MLB for having the Home Run Derby but it's not good practice for professional baseball players to try to swing for the fences for several minutes at a time. This lack of willingness from AL players to enter this competition shows that they realize that even though they have already made it to the Major League Baseball level that there is still a possibility for them to develop bad habits in there swing during the derby.

I know that the All-Star break is supposed to be fun for the fans and a break for the players but if a player is in both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star game they effectively only have a one day break. This can give those players who don't participate an unfair advantage which is why I'm glad that the Home Run Derby is optional and players don't have to take part. This is probably the reason only two American League players have agreed to take part so far. I don't believe the Home Run Derby should be fixed but at least there are some players who know their body well enough to decline the invitation to the event.

2009 All-Star Roster

MLB.com has recently released the full list of All-Stars from both the American League and the National League.


American League

Starters
Pos Player B/T
C Joe Mauer, MIN L/R
1B Mark Teixeira, NYY S/R
2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS R/R
SS Derek Jeter, NYY R/R
3B Evan Longoria, TB R/R
OF Jason Bay, BOS R/R
OF Ichiro Suzuki, SEA L/R
OF Josh Hamilton, TEX L/L

Pitchers
Pos Player B/T
P Andrew Bailey, OAK R/R
P Josh Beckett, BOS R/R
P Mark Buehrle, CWS L/L
P Brian Fuentes, LAA L/L
P Zack Greinke, KC R/R
P Roy Halladay, TOR R/R
P Felix Hernandez, SEA R/R
P Edwin Jackson, DET R/R
P Joe Nathan, MIN R/R
P Jonathan Papelbon, BOS R/R
P Mariano Rivera, NYY R/R
P Justin Verlander, DET R/R
P Tim Wakefield, BOS R/R

Reserves
Pos Player B/T
C Victor Martinez, CLE S/R
1B Justin Morneau, MIN L/R
1B Kevin Youkilis, BOS R/R
2B Aaron Hill, TOR R/R
SS Jason Bartlett, TB R/R
3B Michael Young, TEX R/R
OF Carl Crawford, TB L/L
OF Curtis Granderson, DET L/R
OF Torii Hunter, LAA R/R
OF Adam Jones, BAL R/R
OF Ben Zobrist, TB S/R


National League National League

Starters
Pos Player B/T
C Yadier Molina, STL R/R
1B Albert Pujols, STL R/R
2B Chase Utley, PHI L/R
SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA R/R
3B David Wright, NYM R/R
OF Carlos Beltran, NYM S/R
OF Ryan Braun, MIL R/R
OF Raul Ibanez, PHI L/R

Pitchers
Pos Player B/T
P Heath Bell, SD R/R
P Chad Billingsley, LAD R/R
P Jonathan Broxton, LAD R/R
P Matt Cain, SF R/R
P Francisco Cordero, CIN R/R
P Ryan Franklin, STL R/R
P Dan Haren, ARI R/R
P Josh Johnson, FLA L/R
P Ted Lilly, CHC L/L
P Tim Lincecum, SF L/R
P Jason Marquis, COL L/R
P Francisco Rodriguez,NYM R/R
P Johan Santana, NYM L/L

Reserves
Pos Player B/T
C Brian McCann, ATL L/R
1B Prince Fielder, MIL L/R
1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD L/L
1B Ryan Howard, PHI L/L
2B Orlando Hudson, LAD S/R
2B Freddy Sanchez, PIT R/R
SS Miguel Tejada, HOU R/R
3B Ryan Zimmerman, WSH R/R
OF Brad Hawpe, COL L/L
OF Hunter Pence, HOU R/R
OF Justin Upton, ARI R/R

"Ball-Less" Baseball Promotion

According to UPI.com a minor league in Hudson Valley New York has seen recent complaints for its promotion for a game this week. Their "Ball-Less" promotion was for the "celebration of femininity and independence," and men would not be allowed in until the fifth inning.

The Promo said that the men would be entertained outside with a parking-lot tailgating party and so they wouldn't miss the game it would be broadcast on big-screen T.V.'s. The county, who owns the stadium, says that the promotion was in "poor taste" and said it might also violate human right laws.

The team did say in their defense that "men will be allowed in if they want and boys will be let in with their mothers." The team also said that the promotion's "'ball-less' title, which critics see as a reference to women not having testicles, was a baseball reference and any sexual connotation was 'fortunately or unfortunately coincidental.'"

Manny Back to Baseball with a Bang

In Manny Ramirez's second game back to Major League Baseball after his 50 game suspension he showed the LA Dodgers' fans what they had been missing. In his first at bat of the night Manny hit a monster home run. The fact that it was a high change up should not detract from the fact that his first hit back in the MLB was a home run. Although it should be noted that it is only hit since returning from suspension. Manny is one for six with a walk, since returning to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even though the game was played at the San Diego Padres you would never know it; a majority of the people at the park were LA Dodgers' fans who cheered Manny Ramirez at his every at bat but were ecstatic when he launched the home run in the first inning. As a fan of baseball, I can only hope Manny can keep this up.