The Home Run Derby

I could write a post about Joe Morgan and his Pujols for MVP because the Cardinals will be in the playoffs or LaRussa's starting Carpenter over: Clemens, Willis, and Oswalt, three more deserving pitchers. I could, but I'll write on the Home Run Derby which I avoided tonight. Frankly, the HR Derby has become boring to me. I did like the International format, if only it avoided having Lee stand out there and take about 50 hard cuts on his bum shoulder. But man, how can you watch home run after home run for 3 and a half hours, like it took tonight? So here are some ideas that I think could spice things up:

1. This is the most obvious, but have an umpire back there calling strikes. Any strike could be an out, or three strikes could be an out. I swear Pudge stood up there and took about 7 pitches. 7 pitches??? These things should have some skill to them. Every pitch does not need to be grooved right down the middle for these guys.

2. Mark off a line across the outfield. Any ball hit that doesn't land beyond this line is an automatic out. After this line, we put 3 OFs out there who try and catch the balls not hit out. Who wouldn't want to see Ichiro and Torii Hunter trying to climb walls and bring balls back? This would be especially good if they brought the NL vs. AL contest back. Any balls that they don't catch aren't outs. This wouldn't be a lot of balls, because the little kids catch most of them anyway.

3. My most radical idea: Either make the first round, or the last round, or the losers (the guys who didn't make the finals), play a special "whiffle ball" round. They put out a shorter fence and make these guys hit against some kid/ adult with "whiffleball" experience and they try hitting those out. I think that would spice things up a bit.

So there you have it. As Sports Guy tries to implement HORSE at the NBA All-Star game, which is a fantastic idea in my opinion, I try and spice the HR Derby. Something has to change, for me ever to watch again.