Vlad wins Home Run Derby

DAKRA

Bronze
Feb 21, 2007
715
6
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I only saw part of the derby, but it looked like a "Slug-Fest"

The Dominican Boyz came through big! - Congrats to all the players
 

Cleef

Bronze
Feb 24, 2002
1,797
6
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Missed it.

Read about it, but my golf game has really put a dent in my TV'ng. Great to see Vlady get some additional press, he deserves it. My favorite "Dominican" player.

Heading to SF tonight for the game, hopefully have some pictures to share by "manana".
 

jruane44

Bronze
Jul 2, 2004
1,025
44
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A, A
Did you see the clown in the spray painted shirt? The guy must be a Bronx guy. The barber shop Jordans is in the Bronx and they cut many Dominican Ball players hair.
 

Kyle

Silver
Jun 2, 2006
4,266
161
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this had to be the worse HR derby in recent memory. where were the home runs from the big hitters? noone hit one into McCovey Cove, the left handers were out in the first round.
hats off to Vlad for his victory. the same Vlad that hit 2 home runs in 2000..
 

Cleef

Bronze
Feb 24, 2002
1,797
6
0
Best player in Baseball

this had to be the worse HR derby in recent memory. where were the home runs from the big hitters? noone hit one into McCovey Cove, the left handers were out in the first round.
hats off to Vlad for his victory. the same Vlad that hit 2 home runs in 2000..
I was standing in RF - on the deck that overlooks the field and the cove - during BP last night.

Players take 6 hacks in a rotation in BP. When Ichiro came up he'd hit three perfect line drives to left, then 3 BOMBS to right. In total I'd say he hit 8 or 9 into the cove. 1 was caught on the runway and the rest cleared the deck and the walkway behind, and landed yards into the cove. I've seen where most of Barry's blasts have landed and Ichiro's cleared them without a doubt.

He is an absolute hitting machine. I was thoroughly impressed. If you wanted a left handed HR champ in SF, he was the man.

To a man - and every baseball player would likely agree - if Ichiro entered the HR derby, he'd win every time. He is absolutely amazing.

In addition, during BP, players mingle in the OF and shag balls. They don't really. They stand around and talk. The shagging is left to some privileged kids roaming the OF. However, when Ichiro is shagging, he's putting on a show. He was catching the long drives over his head, behind the back - all sorts of defensive acrobatics - and then throwing the ball into the stands.

A really amazing thing to watch.

MeRod is now 2nd in my book for the best player in baseball. Ichiro is head and shoulders above the rest. He can hit anything, in any direction, with power and with precision.

Speed-wise he's probably a notch above MeRod, and defensively superior.

Incredible.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,470
3,604
113
Ichiro Suzuki only has five home runs all season, and 66 in the six years he has been in the league. He is a great hitter but home run champ I doubt.
 

toneloc24

Bronze
Mar 8, 2004
628
0
16
Ichiro is a contact hitter, point-blank. Best in baseball at that. Great fielder and base-runner as well.

Most major leaguers can do what he did during batting practice. Now, if he could do that during a game or the length of a season, I might agree. I like his approach to the game.

But, to compare him to A-Rod in this manner, ridiculous. He is definitely a top-10 player in baseball, nonetheless.

1. A-Rod
2. Albert Pujols (2007 be damned, we all know how good he is)
3. Vlad Guerrero
4. Johan Santana
5. Ichiro Suzuki
6. Grady Sizemore
7. Jake Peavy
8. Derek Jeter
9. Jose Reyes
10. Gary Sheffield
 

Cleef

Bronze
Feb 24, 2002
1,797
6
0
Exposed

Ichiro is a contact hitter, point-blank. Best in baseball at that. Great fielder and base-runner as well.

Most major leaguers can do what he did during batting practice. Now, if he could do that during a game or the length of a season, I might agree. I like his approach to the game.

But, to compare him to A-Rod in this manner, ridiculous.
That's funny, the manager of the team apparently agrees with me - in fact - he reversed exactly what you said and I had put in bold.

Believe me, very few ML'ers can do what he did in BP. Big Papi hit in his group and looked terrible. They were trying to match Ichiro and it couldn't be done.

Love your opinions. Especially when they are completely wrong.
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,470
3,604
113
Speaking about opinions, it is obviously yours that this guy with 5 Home Runs in half of this season would win the HR Derby. He could never even get in the contest with his 5 homers and 66 in six years.
 

Cleef

Bronze
Feb 24, 2002
1,797
6
0
Not certain about the invites, but Yes, he'd win.

Speaking about opinions, it is obviously yours that this guy with 5 Home Runs in half of this season would win the HR Derby. He could never even get in the contest with his 5 homers and 66 in six years.
I would assume invites are based on your current or historical HR totals, so yes to that.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that he'd win if he was in the HR contest.

For him to hit the way he did in BP - and for so many others we saw trying to do the same - it's obviously talent, not just 9 or 10 perfect pitches that were grooved, and by good fortune he put them all in McCovey Cove.

This much I'm sure we can agree about. You have to see it to believe it.

I was tingling.

And then to see him shagging flies made me realize how easy he makes the game look. IMO, he's without a doubt the best player in all of baseball.