2010 Home Run Derby Participants Revealed by MLB

The 2010 Home Run Derby participants were partially revealed today by Major League Baseball. So far, the 2010 Home Run Derby participants are six players who could make the contest quite interesting. There will be two more names added to the National League side of things presumably, as, right now, American League participants out-number the National League four-to-two.

Participating in the 2010 Home Run Derby are David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees, Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays, Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals. Cano is the best pure hitter of the bunch, and Ortiz appears to be the best power hitter, but, during a home run derby, anything is possible. Hopefully, the National League is able to convince two more names to join the competition later this week.

One of the things that could be working against the 2010 Home Run Derby is that there have been a number of recent stories about players who did well in the derby and then faltered in the second half of the Major League Baseball season. Some players have complained that it affects their swing when they head back to their teams, but there have also been a lot of cases where it had no effect on a player at all. It seems, though, that recent home run derbies that have lasted close to three hours have worked against getting a full field this season.

The 2010 MLB Home Run Derby will take place on ESPN this Monday, July 12, before the 2010 MLB All-Star Game takes place on Tuesday. ESPN will begin broadcasting coverage at about 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST), and it should be an exciting event for baseball fans. The object of the home run derby is to simply be the person to hit the most home runs each round, and to put on a show while it takes place. Last year's winner was Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers, who ESPN reported actually hit more home runs after the derby than in the first half, poking holes in the theory that it hurts a player's swing.

What baseball really needs now is for two big names from the National League to confirm that they will take part in the derby. Maybe someone like Ryan Howard will commit to participating, giving the National League a big bump in power and respect heading into the competition. The only thing on the line for participants in the 2010 Home Run Derby is bragging rights, but some players are just there to enjoy the experience, and don't necessarily want the extra stress (or work) of being in the derby.

References:

ESPN_Announces_Participants

2010_American_League_All_Stars

2010_National_League_All_Stars