Time to change home run derby rules?

[staindsox]

Re: Time to change home run derby rules?

I think they have to keep the rules as they are because why would anyone watch to see who wins if a guy was winning by 10 homers going into the final round. The derby would always be over in the first round; remember McGwire in Boston, Sosa in Milwaukee, Abreu in Detroit? They could also just completley scrap the rounds. Let a guy have 10 outs, 20 outs, 27 outs, whatever, and hit away.

Besides, this isn't the World Series or Super Bowl. Homerun Derby inequities won't keep me up at night.

[mr.miracle]

Re: Time to change home run derby rules?

I think they have to keep the rules as they are because why would anyone watch to see who wins if a guy was winning by 10 homers going into the final round. The derby would always be over in the first round; remember McGwire in Boston, Sosa in Milwaukee, Abreu in Detroit? They could also just completley scrap the rounds. Let a guy have 10 outs, 20 outs, 27 outs, whatever, and hit away.

Besides, this isn't the World Series or Super Bowl. Homerun Derby inequities won't keep me up at night.

Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't the NBA start fresh in the finals of the 3 point shootout and Slam Dunk Contest as two examples. I agree with Staindsox, why would anyone continue to watch if those scores carried forward. In fact, the only reason anyone would have watched after the beatdown that occurred in the first round was to see if Josh Hamilton would break the previous total record and or to see him continue his assault on the Yankee Stadium outer walls and bleachers.

While it does seem on some level unfair that Hamilton destroyed the field in the 1st round and then lost in the final, there is really no other way to make this fair in the scenario from yesterday where one guy is destoying the field.

Thanks

[eGameUsed]

Re: Time to change home run derby rules?

What about track and field or even swimming events. Endurance is the key. You got to pace yourself! If you are racing in a 10K against three other people and you take off averaging 4.5 min miles, you are more likley to finish last while the person that avaraged 5.5 min miles passed you on the last lap.

[sylbry]

Re: Time to change home run derby rules?

Sure we have playoff GAMES to determine a winner. There is no other way to determine a World Series or Super Bowl winner. But WITHIN THE GAME we don't throw out everything that went before give the title to the winner of the last inning or quarter or frame in bowling or hole in golf or any other sport I can think of.

I don't see it that differently. One season equals one contest. But I do see your point. I am just saying that the first round equals the regular season. People/teams are eliminated. The second round equals the playoffs. Two remain for the finals. The length of the season/contest is irrelevent.

The way I see it is if there is a run away contestant (Hamilton) the rest of the contest would become irrelevant. If his first two rounds counted toward the finals, the final round would have consisted of Morneau trying to match Hamilton. If not then there would have been no reason for Hamilton to step to the plate again.

[cjclong]

Re: Time to change home run derby rules?

The only way it becomes irrelevant is if people are only interested in seeing a "winner." I think that is wrong and the proof is everyone is talking about the "loser" Hamilton and no one is talking about Morneau. If they had gone into the last round with Hamilton far ahead most people would have continued to watch to see what Hamilton could do. People are less interested in who "won" than who hit a lot of long home runs. I doubt if those of us who watch can tell you the winner for a lot of years but we remember some of the long home run bombs.

[10thMan]

Re: Time to change home run derby rules?

The rules didn`t matter to me...I watched Hamilton smash all those Homers, wondered what a Bat looks like that hit 25 Homers, went outside & got some excersize.

Sean