OT... HR Derby

[shoremen44]

Is it just me or is the NL HR derby group going to kick the living crap out of the AL?

Can any one of Pena, Inge, Cruz, or Mauer hang with Pujols, Gonzalez, Fielder, or Howard in star power and bombs?

[skyking26]

Is Dunn playing? If he isn't, it's a farce that a guy with 40 HR 5 years running and another maybe on way isn't there. If he isn't there, neither will I watch.

[kellsox]

Is Dunn playing? If he isn't, it's a farce that a guy with 40 HR 5 years running and another maybe on way isn't there. If he isn't there, neither will I watch.
I believe that you have to be an all star to participate in the HR Derby.

[rj_lucas]

Is it just me or is the NL HR derby group going to kick the living crap out of the AL?

Can any one of Pena, Inge, Cruz, or Mauer hang with Pujols, Gonzalez, Fielder, or Howard in star power and bombs?

I'm a National League guy, so I'll second that emotion. Winning the game may be a lot tougher though, thanks to Halladay, Greinke, and Wakeman.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[skyking26]

I believe that you have to be an all star to participate in the HR Derby.
Kellsox, well aware of how it works son. I was being sarcastic. My point is, I am 45 and have not watched an All-Star game in years as it is just a popularity contest. There are alot of guys that should be on year in and out - Dunn no exception.

To have any HR contest without a guy like Dunn, like Thome, like Kingman many years ago...is laughable. I just don't care...


Now playoffs and World Series? There is something to get excited about - not the AS Game.


RK

[ironmanfan]

I don't even think it's a NL vs AL kind of thing any more....All individual I believe..........Last year the finals were between Morneau and Hamilton.

[AWA85]

Would love to see Dunn in the derby, think fans have been missing out for years on what he would do in it.

Guess we can only imagine..... I am taking Ryan Howard as my pick tonight.

[redoctober]

Interesting that Pujols changed bats midstream. He changes his bats more often than any "super" player I have seen. Most seem to be consistent with one or two models/wts/lengths/etc, but he seems to change a lot -- evem in the HR Derby!

Also, I think Dunn would be lights out. It needs to happen in the next couple of years though.

[sayhey24]

Don't really think it's fair to lump Thome in with Dunn and Kingman. Thome has been a great ballplayer -- Kingman and Dunn are one dimensional players who have put up gawdy home run totals, but have done little to help their teams. Growing up as a Giants fan in the 70s, I remember well what a letdown Kingman was, although anyone would have trouble living up to the hype that he brought with him. He was a divisive figure in the clubhouse, a terrible fielder, had a terrible batting average and and on base percentage, and had very low RBI numbers for someone who hit so many homers. Dunn's clubhouse problems have also been well chronicled, but I just don't think Thome has had the same problems.

Greg

[redoctober]

Don't really think it's fair to lump Thome in with Dunn and Kingman. Thome has been a great ballplayer -- Kingman and Dunn are one dimensional players who have put up gawdy home run totals, but have done little to help their teams. Growing up as a Giants fan in the 70s, I remember well what a letdown Kingman was, although anyone would have trouble living up to the hype that he brought with him. He was a divisive figure in the clubhouse, a terrible fielder, had a terrible batting average and and on base percentage, and had very low RBI numbers for someone who hit so many homers. Dunn's clubhouse problems have also been well chronicled, but I just don't think Thome has had the same problems.

Greg


Are you serious??? Please detail the "well-chronicled" Dunn clubhouse problems. I am not aware of any.

Dunn has his opportunities -- he is a terrible fielder and is not the leader that he should be. However, he hits a ton of HR's, has an outstanding on-base percentage, and is consistent with his results year after year. You know what you are getting with him.

Thome is a step above, no doubt. However, I question the thought process of Dunn always being compared w/ Kingman -- I think Dunn will surpass him.

Please provide evidence of what you posted above around Dunn's "clubhouse problems". I am simply not aware of any.

[sayhey24]

Hi Redoctober,

I think you did a better job of summarizing Dunn than I did. Perhaps I would have been better off saying that the constant questions about his attitude and interest in the game have been well chronicled (probably most recently in a Sports Illustrated article if I'm not mistaken).

On another note -- does anyone else think the "yellow tracker" that ESPN is using to follow the flight of some of the home run balls is the worst thing they've ever seen?

[skyking26]

Are you serious??? Please detail the "well-chronicled" Dunn clubhouse problems. I am not aware of any.

Dunn has his opportunities -- he is a terrible fielder and is not the leader that he should be. However, he hits a ton of HR's, has an outstanding on-base percentage, and is consistent with his results year after year. You know what you are getting with him.

Thome is a step above, no doubt. However, I question the thought process of Dunn always being compared w/ Kingman -- I think Dunn will surpass him.

Please provide evidence of what you posted above around Dunn's "clubhouse problems". I am simply not aware of any.
I smell a good argument here, and I'm all over it and in agreement with Red. I have followed Dunn for years and at no time have I ever at any time found one negative comment save for some slander the Jays knucklehead GM threw at him last year and found he was the only one in the universe that saw Dunn that way! I challenge to back up those remarks.

No question is Thome a cut above. He should be a first ballot HOF'er with no roid issues, a solid defenseman and a spokesman of the game on and off the field. 600 HRS should be had as long as he gets a job next year. My comparison was lack of All-Star time, but that can be had as he has never been a popular guy...always under the radar and producing. Those are sometimes the guys you'd rather have other than the Hollywood pretty boys.

Kingman. While true he was said to be one-dimensionable, he played limited time for his first 4 years as a Giant in the bigs. You have to get AB's to put up numbers. He was in the shadow of Mays and McCovey. Can't fault him for that. When he got a chance to play with Mets '75 onward, he proved when he played and got the AB's he was a 30 HR/90+ RBI guy. Check the stats again. I'll take those numbers today despite low average and OB%. He did what they paid him to do...HRS and RBI's. Dunn should surpass him as he is steady Eddie with 5 40 HRS seasons and a great OB%. Not his fault he and Kingman played on non-contenders. Dunn belongs in the AL. He is a poor fielder, but still deserves to be there.

I bored with the AS HR Derby quickly. Seeing Albert constantly switching bats and taking pitch after pitch was all I could handle. I watched the Bachelorette with my wife instead.

RK

[SkubeBats]

My Man Prince won it all... GO BREWERS!!

[AWA85]

My Man Prince won it all... GO BREWERS!!


The Bachelorette or the Derby? :D