Home Run Derby

With the All-Star game comes All-Star game festivities...and that includes the Home Run Derby, the Old-Timer/Celebrity Softball game, and countles other activities not aired on National Television. Last night was the Home Run Derby, and Softball game, and I must say I didn't expect much from it, and yet was still unimpressed. You knew it wasn't going to be great when you saw Brandon Inge as a contestant, with the only two superstars being Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard. Noone stepped up and put on a show like Sosa in '02 and '04, Bobby Abreu in '05, David Wright in '06, Josh Hamilton in '08...it was about as exciting as a Nats - DBacks game. The only part that people thought they could get excited about was Albert Pujols being in it, at his home stadium, but Albert Pujols is a line drive hitter that just has obscene power which is not ideal for an event like this. He doesn't have that uppercut swing like Junior, or even Prince Fielder. In years past you have seen the players along side the field running around and being impressed themselves, where this year they were just kind of sitting because they felt they should, with no real excitement. Where's ARod (whom I loathe) or Ryan Braun? I don't care about the obscenely overrated Carlos Pena who's only on the team because his manager was allowed to fill a missing position (which was Pedroia, but Joe Maddon felt a first baseman would be a good replacement).
I hope the All-Star game tonight provides more entertainment than the events that took place last night, otherwise I may be falling asleep early, and looking forward to the 2nd half of the year a few hours earlier than previously planned. Let's hope the AL can get through the top of the NL order, because once they do it gets reasonably weak, and prime for another A.L. ass kicking, to go along with the 11-0-1 record the AL currently boasts over the last 12 years.

POLL: Who will win the All-Star game tonight?

American League
National League