July 6, 200422 yr c/o MLB.com 07/06/2004 12:58 PM ET Derby to have a '500' flavor Active 500-homer hitters invited to Home Run Derby By Jim Molony / MLB.com Baseball's ultimate power summit is in the works for Minute Maid Park. In what figures to be an unprecedented gathering, not only is every living member of baseball's exclusive 500 Home Run Club invited to next week's Century 21 All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night, several of them will be swinging for the fences. All four of the active players who have hit at least 500 career home runs -- Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr., Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs and the Giants' Barry Bonds -- have been extended invitations to participate in the Derby, to be televised live on ESPN. Thus far, Griffey, Sosa and Palmeiro have accepted. Palmeiro will be the first non-member of the All-Star Game rosters to participate in the Derby. Also already confirmed for this year's event are Philadelphia's Jim Thome, who leads the Majors with 27 home runs, Anaheim's Vladimir Guerrero and 2002 Home Run Derby champion Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees. The Yankees' Alex Rodriguez also was given the option to participate, but he withdrew from consideration after straining a muscle Sunday against the New York Mets. "I was probably going to do it," Rodriguez said. "With this injury, I can't take any chances." The final AL spot has not yet been finalized and could go to one of several sluggers, such as Boston's David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez or the Rangers' Hank Blalock. Major League Baseball also has invited the 10 former players still living who hit at least 500 home runs during their careers to attend the Derby, including all-time home run leader Hank Aaron (755), Willie Mays (660), Frank Robinson (586), Mark McGwire (583), Harmon Killebrew (573), Reggie Jackson (563), Mike Schmidt (548), Willie McCovey (521), Ernie Banks (512) and Eddie Murray (504). The format for this year's event remains the same, with four American Leaguers and four National Leaguers taking their swings on an alternating basis. The four winners of the first round advance to the semifinals, and the two semifinal winners meet to decide the winner. Garret Anderson of Anaheim won last year's Century 21 Home Run Derby after edging Albert Pujols of St. Louis, 9-8, in the finals at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. The next day, Anderson went on to win the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award of the All-Star Game. Sosa was the 2000 winner. Griffey has won it three times, including back-to-back triumphs in 1998-99. Bonds won it in 1996. The Century 21 Home Run Derby is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET and, again, will be televised by ESPN. Jim Molony is a reporter for MLB.com. MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand contributed to this report. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Maybe they should call this the Century Village Derby
July 6, 200422 yr oh man com'on to watch cabs and lowell hit with the left field wall at pratically 305 feet. awesome. man palmerio?? to bad man yea he was a power hitter. WAS, not now. y not cabs, damn they hate the marlins
July 6, 200422 yr I don't see a reason for us to get too upset about them not getting the invite. Thome, Bonds...they both deserve to be there. Griffey-meh-but whatever, he's fun to watch. I don't agree with Sosa considering he's only sitting on 14 and he didn't hit his 500th this year (and Thome doesn't have 500). Personally, I would have liked to see Pujols simply because righty pull hitters put on a better show in Houston with left field being like 20 feet...
July 6, 200422 yr Sorry, but neither Lowell nor Cabrera belong in the event considering the incredible power hitters there. I disagree with Palmiero, though. If you ain't good enough to get your sorry, Viagra-taking arse into the game then you shouldn't be allowed to hit in the HRD. Heck, they should just call up McGwire and let him in too, then.
July 6, 200422 yr Author Sorry, but neither Lowell nor Cabrera belong in the event considering the incredible power hitters there. I disagree with Palmiero, though. If you ain't good enough to get your sorry, Viagra-taking arse into the game then you shouldn't be allowed to hit in the HRD. Heck, they should just call up McGwire and let him in too, then. 443738[/snapback] sorry, but Cabs has sick power MLB is being stupid for not marketing a young rising star like Cabrera
July 6, 200422 yr No big deal would have been fun, I would doubt that Bonds accepts so still may have slim chance because Sosa, Griff, and Thome were only ones in it so far. Oh well
July 6, 200422 yr bonds wont accept...he's above this exhibition. it would be fun to see big mac take a few swings though.
July 6, 200422 yr Big Mac is a lot smaller now supposedly. Not sure he could still jack 'em out like he used to.
July 6, 200422 yr bonds wont accept...he's above this exhibition. it would be fun to see big mac take a few swings though. 443766[/snapback] I'm sure Bonds won't do it, with it being yet another racist effort by whitey to exploit and discriminate against him.
July 6, 200422 yr Big Mac is a lot smaller now supposedly. Not sure he could still jack 'em out like he used to. 443771[/snapback] mcgwire jacked 49 as a skinny rookie in 89.
July 6, 200422 yr Big Mac is a lot smaller now supposedly. Not sure he could still jack 'em out like he used to. 443771[/snapback] mcgwire jacked 49 as a skinny rookie in 89. 443781[/snapback] That was the year of the juiced ball. And it was 1987, not 1989. Wade Boggs hit 24 that year... That doesn't sound like much, but he averaged a little over 5 HRs a year over the the 17 seasons not including 1987. Everyone's power numbers were up. Look it up... ps. I don't know if links are allowed here, but I guess it can be removed otherwise. Here's a link to the 1987 story: http://www.thebaseballpage.com/features/2002/1987_review.htm
July 6, 200422 yr I agree that if your not in the game you shouldnt be in the Derby. Hopefully Miggy finds his way in if Bonds declines.
July 6, 200422 yr They should have an inside the park home run derby and invite all the fastest guys in the league like Ichiro, JP, etc. haha.
July 6, 200422 yr They should have an inside the park home run derby and invite all the fastest guys in the league like Ichiro, JP, etc. haha. 443918[/snapback] Dude I'd love to see those guys race.
July 7, 200422 yr yeah or mayb like one of those things u did at little league try outs wher you hit it and run the bases as fast as you can and get timed..... or they could have an obstical course where you have to field a ball hit in the hole and make an acurate throw run into left and make a catch and have to hit a dummy standing at home keep going untill u do it an then have to make a homer robbing catch at the wall all while being timed and trying not to pass out ......talk about marketing but mayb thats taking it a little to far
July 7, 200422 yr Sosa doesn't even belong there! I hope he violently sneezes again! not really, i'm just pissed.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.