Chicago White Sox middle fielder Luis Robert Jr. is the No. 1 seed in Monday evening’s Home Run Derby at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Here’s what to know in regards to the occasion — together with how Cubs and White Sox gamers have fared up to now.
History of the occasion
ESPN didn’t begin airing the occasion reside till 1994, however the derby truly dates to December 1959, when the key leagues’ greatest sluggers went to Wrigley Field — in Los Angeles, then residence of the Pacific Coast League’s Angels — over a three-week interval to take their hacks in “Home Run Derby,” a short-lived tv present with Chicago native Mark Scott as host.
The 30-minute present aired weekly for 26 episodes in the course of the major-league season. Nine of the 19 gamers who participated in April 1960 — together with Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Ernie Banks — went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Of the 20 gamers who hit 25 residence runs or extra in 1959, Scott recruited all however 4 to compete on “Home Run Derby.”
And of the 16 major-league groups on the time, all however one was represented. The lone snub? The American League champion White Sox.
Banks, the lone Cubs participant, earned $4,500 with one $500 bonus in his three spots, ending 1-2. Only one participant — Red Sox outfielder Jackie Jensen, within the ultimate episode — obtained a $1,000 bonus for hitting 5 consecutive residence runs.
What are the foundations?
It’s a single-elimination match through which every batter will get three minutes within the first two rounds and two minutes within the finals.
Every batter will probably be awarded 30 seconds of bonus time after the regulation interval, and a batter will get an extra 30 seconds (for a complete of 60 seconds) if he hits at the least two homers that equal or exceed 440 toes throughout regulation.
Ties in any spherical will probably be damaged with a 60-second swing-off. If it’s nonetheless tied after the swing-off, three-swing swing-offs will happen till there’s a winner.
Who is collaborating this 12 months?
The seeding for the eight-man derby was decided by residence run totals by way of Tuesday. Tiebreakers went to the participant with probably the most homers since June 15.
White Sox middle fielder Luis Robert Jr. — who now has 26 residence runs — is the highest seed. His longest of the season was a 450-foot shot on July 4 versus the Blue Jays at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Robert, who can also be an AL All-Star, laughed when requested about any earlier derby expertise.
“Yes, in Cuba,” he stated. “I was talking about that with Adolis (García) a few minutes ago. We said at least we have to break the record that we set in Cuba because we didn’t hit any homers in that competition.”
This would be the first Home Run Derby for Robert and countrymen Randy Arozarena and García. They will attempt to be part of two-time champion Yoenis Céspedes as the one Cuban natives to win it.
Here’s the total bracket:
- (1) White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. vs. (8) Orioles’ Adley Rutschman
- (2) Mets’ Pete Alonso vs. (7) Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez
- (3) Dodgers’ Mookie Betts vs. (6) Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- (4) Rangers’ Adolis García vs. (5) Rays’ Randy Arozarena
How have Chicago gamers fared up to now?
Robert will try to affix Frank Thomas as Sox gamers to win the occasion (the previous DH/1B received it in 1995 in Arlington, Texas).
Thomas launched 15 baseballs a mixed 6,488 toes to beat out seven different All-Stars. He knocked off Cleveland’s Albert Belle for the title with three residence runs within the ultimate spherical versus two for Belle — who didn’t even take his final two cuts. Overall, Thomas hit seven of the eight longest homers and averaged practically 433 toes per shot.
“When you’re sitting there and you’ve got 40,000 people cheering, they want to see a home run every time,” Thomas stated. “They hate popups. They hate ground balls. If you don’t hit them into the seats, they won’t cheer. I’m proud to win it. It was tough competition and we had a lot of fun.”
The Cubs’ Sammy Sosa additionally participated in 1995 however completed with solely two residence runs and was eradicated within the first spherical.
Robert is the sixth Sox participant (seventh time) to take part within the Home Run Derby and the primary since Todd Frazier in 2016. Frazier misplaced to the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 20 homers to Frazier’s 13 within the ultimate spherical.
Other Sox gamers to take their swings within the occasion are Jermaine Dye (2006), Paul Konerko (2002), Thomas (1994, 1995) and Carlton Fisk (1985).
Cubs gamers have received the derby 3 times: Andre Dawson in 1987, Ryne Sandberg in 1990 and Sosa in 2000.
In 2015, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant represented the Cubs, and each did not get out of the primary spherical. That 12 months’s winner? Frazier, then with the Reds.
The 2018 derby was one other two-Cub evening with Javier Báez and Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber hit 55 whole residence runs however misplaced by one within the ultimate spherical to the Nationals’ Bryce Harper.
Perhaps probably the most hyped derby was staged in 1999 at Fenway Park, one season after the home-run race between Mark McGwire and Sosa. With all eyes on Sosa, the Cubs star wound up hitting just one residence run in 11 swings.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Sosa stated. “I’m not disappointed. … I got one. I’m not too good at hitting in BP.”
What does this 12 months’s winner win?
Bragging rights, after all. And — oh, yeah — $1 million.
How can I watch?
The swinging begins at 7 p.m. Monday on ESPN. ESPN2 will air a Statcast-driven telecast as up to now; White Sox play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti hosted final 12 months’s.
The occasion additionally will probably be on ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app.
Juan Soto received final 12 months’s occasion at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, edging Rodríguez 19-18 within the ultimate spherical.
Sources: MLB.com, Associated Press
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