Home Run Derby

Ahhh the All-Star Break. That magical time of year when they play the All-Star game. Sad to think that we're basically over halfway done with baseball this season, but what are you going to do...

Tonight's Home Run Derby should be fun. Have you filled out the Derby bracket? There's prizes to be had. I'm filling mine out now. It's not scientific at all, but I'll show you what I'm thinking will happen.

The contestants are: Abreu, Bay, Choi, Andruw Jones, Carlos Lee, Ortiz, Pudge, and Teixeira. Every Home Run Derby you have certain roles for the contestant. There's the guy who doesn't care about winning the thing as long as he puts on a good show. There's the guy who doesn't do much of anything, making you wonder why he was there in the first place. There's the guy who should do something great, but doesn't. There's the guy who uses the home run derby to showcase himself as the Next Big Thing. Finally, there's the guy who quietly makes it past each cutoff before attempting to do just what it takes to win.

I'm sure I'm missing certain guys, but the trick is just to figure out who's who.

Here's how I rank that first round:

1. Ortiz
2. Lee
3. Choi
4. Teixera
5. Andruw
6. Pudge
7. Bay
8. Abreu

I see Ortiz and Lee putting on some sort of clinic. Pudge and Andruw Jones will have some really long shots, but won't have it in them to do much. Mark Teixera I'm picking to win the whole thing, and to do that, he'll squeak by in the first two rounds and then do just enough against the other exhausted finalist. Choi will make it in just because he's such a BFA (Big F'ing Asian).

Round 2:

1. C-Lee
2. M-Tex
3. BFA
4. Big Papi

Papi will be exhausted from his first round antics. Carlos Lee will take a turn being the highlight show. Teixeira will quietly dispatch of the big man Choi.

Which leaves Lee and Teixeira to go at it in the final which I believe Teixeira will win.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Of course, it could work out that Teixeira will be the guy that nobody rememebrs was in the thing tomorrow. If he is, then I won't admit to my picks later.