American League batter Yoenis Cespedes, of the Oakland A’s, hits a home run in the final round while on his way to winning the competition during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game Home Run Derby in New York, on Monday. (Reuters)
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Slugger Yoenis Cespedes did not get enough votes to make the All-Star Game, but he made the most of an invitation to compete in the Home Run Derby by winning the competition on the eve of the Midsummer Classic on Monday. |
The Oakland outfielder smashed 17 home runs in the first round to steal the show and in the final round topped the eight homers slugged by Washington’s Bryce Harper with a ninth bomb that travelled 455 feet into the black backdrop in centre field.
Cespedes, the last man added to the American League derby lineup by captain Robinson Cano, won a silver trophy and a red pick-up truck and was handed an oversized check representing $529,000 raised for charity by the home run hitters.
The 27-year-old’s win vindicated Cano’s decision to pick Cespedes, who has 15 home runs this season.
“I said, ‘Let me choose somebody that’s not in the All-Star (game) so he can get an opportunity to be here,’” Cano told reporters earlier in the day. “He accepted.”
Despite the spacious dimensions of Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, the sluggers put on a long-ball show on a hot, sultry night for a sellout crowd of more than 43,000.
In addition to the home run contest, fans were also treated to a dance routine by the Rockettes on top of the team dugouts, a parade of team mascots and a power display by a pair of high school sluggers wielding aluminum bats.
Of his 17 home runs in the first round, Cespedes had blasts of 456 and 447 feet to dead center, hit four balls into the distant third deck in left - never reached in official games - and another off the facing of the deck.
Joining Cespedes, who is in his second Major League season after defecting from Cuba, in the second round were Harper, with eight home runs, Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles (eight) and Mike Cuddyer of the Colorado Rockies (seven).
Pedro Alvarez of the Pittsburgh Pirates (six), Prince Fielder of the Detroit Tigers (five), National League captain David Wright of the Mets (five) and Cano (four) were eliminated.
Fielder, who won the event last year, fell short in his attempt to join Ken Griffey Jr as the only three-time winner of the event.
Harper, who had his father pitch to him, hit eight more home runs in the second round to pass Cuddyer (15 total) and current major league home run leader Davis, who finished with just 12 roundtrippers and later revealed that he had popped a blister during the second round.
Cespedes, feasting on the offerings of his Oakland third base coach Mike Gallego, added another six home runs for a total of 23 although he already had enough to advance to the final.
The power display continued even though the 20-year-old Harper, who wore a sparkling set of gold splashed spikes with orange shoe laces, set a solid target of eight that included a massive 471-foot shot.
Meanwhile, Detroit Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer and New York Mets’ Matt Harvey have been selected as the starting pitchers for the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star game.
National League manager Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants and American League skipper Jim Leyland of the Detroit Tigers made the announcements Monday.
Harvey will be the first pitcher to start an all-star game in his home stadium since Roger Clemens for Houston in 2004. The young Mets right-hander is 7-2 with a 2.35 ERA and an NL-best 147 strikeouts in 19 starts this season.
“It’s a huge honour,” said Harvey of the start at Citi Field park.
Harvey will be the first Mets all-star starting pitcher since Dwight Gooden in 1988. Harvey didn’t make his first MLB start until July 2012.
The only other Met pitcher to start an All-Star Game was Tom Seaver in 1970. Scherzer is 13-1 this season, suffering his first loss on Saturday against Texas.
He is tied with Tampa Bay’s Matt Moore for the MLB lead in wins and is second in the American League with 152 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.19 in 19 starts.
The lineup for the American League will open with Anaheim Angels’ Mike Trout in left field, followed by New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and reigning MVP Miguel Cabrera of Detroit at third.
Baltimore slugger Chris Davis will play first base. He will be followed in the batting order by Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista, Boston designated hitter David Ortiz, Baltimore centre fielder Adam Jones, Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer and Orioles shortstop J J Hardy.
Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips will lead off batting for the National League with St Louis right fielder Carlos Beltran up next. Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto will hit third and Mets third baseman David Wright will bat cleanup.
Colorado left fielder Carlos Gonzalez will hit fifth followed by St Louis catcher Yadier Molina and Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Colorado’s Michael Cuddyer will be the designated hitter and Washington’s Bryce Harper bats ninth and will play centre field.