This Derby doesn’t quite fit that well

[EasyAce]

It's great entertainment. But it isn't baseball. No matter how engaging Vlad Jr. or charitable winner Pete Alonso.
By Yours Truly
https://throneberryfields.com/2019/07/09/this-derby-doesnt-quite-fit-that-well/


One of the 2019 Mets’ few bright lights, Pete
Alonso proudly hoists his Home Run Derby
winning trophy Monday night.

The remade/remodeled rules of the thing enabled Pete Alonso to win Monday night’s Home Run Derby in Cleveland’s Progressive Field. And Alonso, who’s one of the extremely few bright lights on a Mets team described charitably as a basket case, would have been the star of the show all around if it wasn’t for the kid named Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.

Gone is the longtime ten-outs window through which the Home Run Derby’s participants had to perform in the past. In is the three-minute, no-outs window through which they get to mash to their hearts’ content and their swings’ contact. Through that window did the chunky Blue Jay mash his way into becoming half of the only father-and-son tandem ever to win the Derby.

And, into the hearts of both the packed Progressive Field (commentators invariably noted the full house stayed full from late afternoon until the Derby finished) and the television audience. Hitting 91 home runs on the evening can do that for you, especially if you’re as effervescent as this son of a Hall of Famer showed himself to be.

It was great entertainment.

But it wasn’t baseball.

And there was the chance going in that this year’s Derby could be won by a guy who wasn’t even an All-Star in the first place.

As likeable as he is, as promising as his future still appears to be despite his awkward career opening after he’d turned the minors into his personal target practise, Guerrero isn’t even a member of the American League’s All-Star team. And Joc Pederson, whom Guerrero beat to set up the final showdown with Alonso, isn’t a member of the National League’s All-Stars this time. The Derby operates by a slightly different set of criteria than the All-Star Game, which has problems enough every year.

But Alonso is an All-Star. So is Alex Bregman, the Astros’ deft third baseman who often seems to be six parts Little Rascal and half a dozen parts high on laughing gas, and you’re never quite sure which side dominates at any given time. Bregman was eliminated in the Derby’s first round after a mere fourteen blasts. He may not necessarily have been complaining.

Watching the showdown between Guerrero and Pederson, who put on a big show of their own (including two swing-offs) before Guerrero yanked his way to the final showdown with Alonso, Bregman got off the arguable second best line of the night: I couldn’t imagine three rounds of that. I was gassed after two minutes of it. The arguable best line of the night? It showed up on Twitter: Joc Pederson’s going after that $1 million like he’s behind in his rent.

And, on television, Dodger pitcher and All-Star Clayton Kershaw inadvertently provided the most charming moment—his two young children, Cali and Charley, accompanied Daddy to the ballpark for the Derby. There was Cali Kershaw, pretty in pink, pumping her hands and hollering, “Let’s go, Joc! Let’s go, Joc!” The little lady’s a natural scene-stealer, just as she was during last year’s National League division series.

This year’s Derby winner added $1 million to his bankroll for his effort. In Alonso’s case, earning $1 million for one evening’s glorified batting practise all but doubles what he’s earning all season long as a Met. And, entering the Derby and the All-Star break, Alonso out-performed the guy down the freeway in Philadelphia who signed a thirteen-year, $330 million contract by the time spring training was about two-thirds finished.

Alonso also made good on his very public promise to divide ten percent of the Derby prize money equally, if he won, between the Wounded Warriors project (which aids post-9/11 military wounded) and the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, named for the firefighter who lost his life on 9/11 trying to save lives in the World Trade Center.

“There’s a lot I was hitting for tonight,” the exhausted Met said after he was handed the winning medal and trophy. “I’m just happy that I can donate some money to the causes that I wanted . . . I mean, I have the utmost respect for the people that put their lives on the line every single day. And I just want to show my gratitude, because a bad day for me is a lot different than a bad day for the service men and women that serve this country.”

Whom among the Derby participants is also an All-Star? Ronald Acuna, Jr. (Braves), Josh Bell (Pirates), Matt Chapman (Athletics), and Carlos Santana (Indians). Ridiculously, one of the Derby semi-finals was between two guys who aren’t even All-Stars this year. Alonso beat his fellow All-Star Acuna to set up the showdown with Vlad the Impaler, Jr.

Even an observer who isn’t irrevocably wedded to the more stubborn of baseball’s traditions is justified in saying that the Home Run Derby is more entertainment than baseball, since it is tied explicitly to the All-Star festivities, if it invites those who didn’t make either All-Star team as well as those who did.

And one is reminded even briefly that Yankee star Aaron Judge pre-empted any participation in this year’s Derby during spring training, when the Leaning Tower of the South Bronx said he was more concerned with helping his team win games after the All-Star break than with joining and winning a Derby. Judge won the Derby in 2017. His second-half performance wasn’t quite the same as his first half, and he won the American League’s Rookie of the Year award anyway. (He also may have exacerbated a shoulder issue while swinging for his Derby win.)

I analysed Derby winners’ seasons at the time Judge declined and discovered at least half of them had lesser than equal or better second halves of the regular seasons in which they won their Derbies. Last year’s champion, Bryce Harper (now a Phillie), had a better second than first half, to name one; Guerrero’s Hall of Fame father (then an Angel) had a lesser second than first half when he won the Derby, to name one more.

It’s great entertainment.

But it isn’t baseball.

And, contrary to the naysayers, nannies, and nattering nabobs of negativism (thank you, William Safire, of blessed memory), baseball games are better entertainment than million-dollar batting practise. Even million-dollar batting practise that turned out to contribute to two extremely worthy causes.

If there’s a 50-50 chance that a Derby winner will have a lesser than better second half after winning the prize, with or without Alonso’s admirable charity intentions, it’s a little more alarming for baseball than it is engaging for Joe and Jane Fan.

And guess who’s going to be the first to complain, of course, if and when their heroes in the Derby become less at the plate and in the field, especially if and when their teams hit the stretch drive running.
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[Bigun]

It’s great entertainment.

But it isn’t baseball.

 

[EdJames]

I enjoyed watching Vlad, Jr.'s 29 HR round, I didn't see the 40-39 round against Pederson.

As someone that you may say is more of a "stick in the mud" traditionalist that does appreciate some aspects of the analytics world, I thought that the screen was too clogged up with all of the stat stuff...  I wasn't sure if I was watching the MLB HR Derby or one of the recent rocket launches....

[EasyAce]

I enjoyed watching Vlad, Jr.'s 29 HR round, I didn't see the 40-39 round against Pederson.

As someone that you may say is more of a "stick in the mud" traditionalist that does appreciate some aspects of the analytics world, I thought that the screen was too clogged up with all of the stat stuff...  I wasn't sure if I was watching the MLB HR Derby or one of the recent rocket launches....

@EdJames
I'm in on analytics, of course, but even I know it's ridiculous to load up glorified batting practise with stats about last night's or previous such annual rounds. (Though, in fairness, what's the Home Run Derby if not a barrage of rocket launches . . . ;) )

[EdJames]

@EdJames
I'm in on analytics, of course, but even I know it's ridiculous to load up glorified batting practise with stats about last night's or previous such annual rounds. (Though, in fairness, what's the Home Run Derby if not a barrage of rocket launches . . . ;) )

 

[Polly Ticks]

It's definitely entertainment as opposed to 'baseball', but there's nothing wrong with that.  Same thing goes for the NBA slam dunk contest, right?  Three of my sons watched the Home Run Derby last night when I normally only have one of them watching a part of a game with me.  That's not a bad thing.

As far as a 50/50 chance of the derby potentially damaging performance in the second half, I'm not sure that's significant -- statistically or otherwise.  Is that a greater likelihood of a poorer performance in the second half over everyone else who didn't compete in the HR derby?  Or is that just the bell curve in action?

In any case, that could also be mitigated by going back to the 10-misses-and-you're-out format instead of the 4-minute-per-round brackets.  Everybody gets one round, the guy with the most HRs before they get ten misses wins it, Bob's your uncle and you're done.  I'm betting the final tally is way less than Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s total of 91 home runs from last night and a subsequently less fatigued line up of participants.

[EasyAce]

As far as a 50/50 chance of the derby potentially damaging performance in the second half, I'm not sure that's significant -- statistically or otherwise.  Is that a greater likelihood of a poorer performance in the second half over everyone else who didn't compete in the HR derby?  Or is that just the bell curve in action?

@Polly Ticks
Remember what I referenced in this essay---I did an analysis recently in which I discovered that just about half the previous Derby winners had lesser second halves than first halves of those regular seasons, and more than you think that did have an effect on their teams down the stretch of those pennant races. And I think that's extremely significant regarding pennant contenders, but it's no less significant to other teams. Their job is to put on the field the team with the best chance to win, even if they're not going to make it to the postseason. And if they can't quite put the team with the best chance to win in the lineup or the field, that's very significant.

In any case, that could also be mitigated by going back to the 10-misses-and-you're-out format instead of the 4-minute-per-round brackets.  Everybody gets one round, the guy with the most HRs before they get ten misses wins it, Bob's your uncle and you're done.  I'm betting the final tally is way less than Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s total of 91 home runs from last night and a subsequently less fatigued line up of participants.

I happen to agree with you about the ten-out rule being restored if we must have the Derby.

It's definitely entertainment as opposed to 'baseball', but there's nothing wrong with that.

Now I'll answer that one:

Think of it this way---there've been times in the past when those in position to do so tried putting entertainment ahead of baseball. I can name you three:

1) When Stan Musial was striking for his 3,000th major league hit (at the time the 3,000 hit club was extremely small), and came to within one hit of making it, the Cardinals were on the road and their then-manager, Fred Hutchinson, elected at first to keep Musial out of the lineup so he'd have a chance to get the big hit before the home folks. Box office, don't you know. But the game came to demand Musial at the plate, even as a pinch hitter, so Hutchinson put him in. Hutchinson was finally overcome by the need to have his best at the plate and damn the home box office and lo! Musial cracked a hit for number 3,000.

The Cardinals went home the next day and Musial, as Red Smith phrased it, got his 21 guns before the game from the fans cheering his milestone. And he thanked them by flogging one over the right field pavilion for number 3,001 while he was at it.

2) Henry Aaron faced similar pressure (as if he needed more pressure on top of the racist idiots sending him threatening mail) when he started 1974 needing one home run to tie Babe Ruth and two to pass him on the all-time list. The Braves opened in Cincinnati that season for a quick road set before returning home. Then-team president Bill Bartholomay had every intention of holding Aaron out of the Braves' lineup until the team returned home.

Then commissioner Bowie Kuhn stepped in. He ordered the Braves to play Aaron in at least two of the three-game set in Cincinnati. As Red Smith said, "Kuhn realised that in the view of most fans, leaving the team's cleanup hitter out of the batting order would be tantamount to dumping the games in Cincinnati. He explained to Bartholomay what self-interest should have told the Braves' owner, that it is imperative that every team present its strongest lineup every day in an honest effort to win, and that the customers must believe the strongest lineup is being used for that purpose. When Bartholomay persisted in his determination to dragoon the living Aaron and the dead Ruth as shills to sell tickets in Atlanta, the commissioner laid down the law. With a man like Henry swinging for him, that's all he had to do."

So Aaron played on Opening Day in Riverfront Stadium and sent a Jack Billingham fastball into the seats. Manager Eddie Mathews held him out the second game but played him the third game. He didn't get the Big Bomb, but he was up there swinging honestly. Then back to Atlanta and you know the rest.

And by putting baseball first, it still provided a whale of a volume of entertainment when Aaron drove Al Downing's slider into the left field bullpen for the Big Bomb. But it happened the right way.

3) Pete Rose was in a dilemna when he was on the threshold of tying and passing Ty Cobb on the all-time hits parade: he was managing the Reds as well as playing for them, and he was under pressure from the Reds' then-owner, Marge Schott, not to mention a few million Reds fans, to save what he liked to call the Big Knock for the home crowd. But the Reds were still on the fringes of the race. He had two hits and a Ty with Cobb before the fifth inning. Then came the ninth with men on first and second, Rose due up, the game tied, and Dave Parker on deck.

Everyone was thinking "Sacrifice," probably more to save the Big Knock for the home audience than to move the runners up a base. Entertainment before baseball.

Rose knew better. He knew a sacrifice meant the Cubs putting Parker on and taking the bat out of his hands and leaving lesser men behind Parker to come up big enough in the clutch. Especially since a grounder might be a sure double play since Parker wasn't exactly swift afoot. The Reds had that much better chance to win if Rose swung away. He might drive in a run with a hit; he might force a runner at second but have a better chance of staying out of the double play since even as his advanced baseball age Rose still ran swifter than Parker.

Rose swung away. He knocked a couple of hard fouls and struck out. But he did the right thing in the moment, striking out in an honest plate appearance, and he still got the Big Knock in front of the home crowd. And it was one helluva night, for Rose, for Reds fans, and for baseball, anyway, even with the taint of manipulation for entertainment's sake finally removed from the equation.

And if entertainment (however you define it) is placed in front of baseball, that's not good for baseball which is (and ought to be) entertainment aplenty for those who love the game as deeply as you and me do.

[Polly Ticks]

@Polly Ticks
Remember what I referenced in this essay---I did an analysis recently in which I discovered that just about half the previous Derby winners had lesser second halves than first halves of those regular seasons

Yes, I understand that. I was just wondering if half of baseball players in general (not ONLY those who participate in the HR derby) have lesser second halves as well, or if that is a material difference for the derby participants as compared to other players who do not compete in the derby.

[EasyAce]

Yes, I understand that. I was just wondering if half of baseball players in general (not ONLY those who participate in the HR derby) have lesser second halves as well, or if that is a material difference for the derby participants as compared to other players who do not compete in the derby.

@Polly Ticks
Speaking outside the Derby perimeter, you find a fair mix of players who have better second halves than first, better first halves than second, and the factors in each are numerous and variable. With the Derby participants, they're partaking essentially in extra and elongated batting practise sessions and risk two things those players who don't go to a Derby risk:

1) An additional injury or injury aggravation (see Aaron Judge, 2017) that could put them on the IL and have an impact on how they produce when they return to regulation competition.

2) Simply spending themselves needlessly enough before the second half and when it's still very much the somewhat draining summertime peak. (Remember---ordinary pre-game batting practise isn't even an eighth as involving as the potential of how many swings in a Home Run Derby.)