Monday, July 10, 2006
Blogging the Home Run Derby, Round Two & Finals
8:46 p.m. - Harold on David Wright: "I don't think he hits 16 this round."
We'll see. He's still not swinging hard.
On an editorial note, I like the first round carryover.
8:47 p.m. - Someone tell the American Legion kids that it's not cool to rob HR in the Home Run Derby.
8:48 p.m. - Someone tell David Wright to stop yelling "EXPLETIVE!" into the live ESPN microphones
8:49 p.m. - Wright ends with 18. He hit only two this round. Methinks the kid is getting winded. (which probably means he hits 43 next round).
8:51 p.m. - Papi's back up for a second round. And Jonathan Papelbon joins the boys in right centerfield. It's ok to have a man-crush, isn't it?
8:53 p.m. - The first Peter Gammons shout-out. It took THIS LONG???
8:54 p.m. - Papi's first shot - bounce, roll, splash.
Bounce, splash for #2.
8:56 p.m. - Papi switches hats. He hits #3 (splash) and Berman gives me my "Altoona" call. So the final standings on the Berman-Yelling-Pennsylvania-Towns Derby:
Win: Sewickley
Place: Upper St. Clair
Show: Altoona
9:00 p.m. - ESPY's make it a three-way tie, along with Mobile ESPN and ESPN 360, atop the ESPNSPC (ESPN Shameless Plug Count)
9:02 p.m. - Miguel Cabrera up now. John Kruk trying to explain that he picked Cabrera to win effectively, because the Marlins suck.
Is he serious? (on an aside, during the pre-game show, Kruk picked Troy Glaus...he of the one-home run-in-the-first round Glaus')
9:06 p.m. - Cabrera about to knock Papi out. And, maybe I'm drunk, but Joe Morgan is making good points tonight.
And...now Papi can take his spikes off.
9:12 p.m. - Ryan Howard took about 7 pitches before finally swinging...and it was a bomb.
9:13 p.m. - Bonnie Bernstein interviewed Phil Garner about his nickname "Scrapiron," and then inexplicably tried to use the City of Pittsburgh as a segue into the performances of the young NL stars David Wright and Howard.
I'm dizzy and confused.
9:14 p.m. - Joe Morgan compares Ryan Howard to Willie Stargell because of his power to all fields.
He's making solid, educated points, using good examples and real facts. I must be on acid.
9:16 p.m. - Ryan Howard is dropping bombs on your moms (shampoo car alarms).
It's him and David Wright for the trophy.
Harold wants him to go on. Berman wants him to stop. Hey Boomer...remember the gold balls? They're for charity. $21k per.
So you sorta want Howard to go on. And hit a lot of HR with nine outs.
9:20 p.m. - "The Contender" sneaks into the ESPNSPC race. Two spots so far.
Big ups to Peter Manfredo Jr. ... the Pride of Providence.
But the ESPY's lead now. Current tally: ESPY's (4), ESPN 360/Mobile ESPN (3), The Contender (2).
9:24 p.m. - David Wright and Ryan Howard for the Home Run Derby title. And Joe Morgan using the two young guns in the final as a, well, a metaphor for the changing of the guard in the league.
Joe Morgan brought his "A" game tonight.
9:26 p.m. - Before heading to the plate, David Wright yells to his pitcher (Mets catcher Paul LoDuca) "C'mon Dookie!"
Which is really what he needed to be yelling all along, instead of yelling "SHIT!" on live television.
9:32 p.m. - David Wright home runs in the final round: four.
The number of times the ESPN director had to press the seven-second mute button b/c of David Wright's mouth in the final round: five.
Impressive.
9:40 p.m. - Here comes Ryan Howard. His first shot - which Berman said was all the way to Latrobe - cleared the CF batter's eye.
THAT was a shot.
9:43 p.m. - And Ryan Howard is the Home Run Derby champ. VERY impressive.
En route, he hit a sign which gives a fan 500 free flights, courtest of MasterCard. I can tell you this much, my first flight would be from MKE to Providence. I'd pack a few things, then fly to LA, then to Hawaii.
This was fun, kids. Let's blog again sometime soon, kids.
-----
And ESPN 360 makes it four...tying it with the ESPY's, for a combination of eight spots.
And if you're counting at home...the number of anti-steroid commercials? One. At the end of the Home Run Derby. When no one's watching.
Oh well. Enough. G'nite.
One.
We'll see. He's still not swinging hard.
On an editorial note, I like the first round carryover.
8:47 p.m. - Someone tell the American Legion kids that it's not cool to rob HR in the Home Run Derby.
8:48 p.m. - Someone tell David Wright to stop yelling "EXPLETIVE!" into the live ESPN microphones
8:49 p.m. - Wright ends with 18. He hit only two this round. Methinks the kid is getting winded. (which probably means he hits 43 next round).
8:51 p.m. - Papi's back up for a second round. And Jonathan Papelbon joins the boys in right centerfield. It's ok to have a man-crush, isn't it?
8:53 p.m. - The first Peter Gammons shout-out. It took THIS LONG???
8:54 p.m. - Papi's first shot - bounce, roll, splash.
Bounce, splash for #2.
8:56 p.m. - Papi switches hats. He hits #3 (splash) and Berman gives me my "Altoona" call. So the final standings on the Berman-Yelling-Pennsylvania-Towns Derby:
Win: Sewickley
Place: Upper St. Clair
Show: Altoona
9:00 p.m. - ESPY's make it a three-way tie, along with Mobile ESPN and ESPN 360, atop the ESPNSPC (ESPN Shameless Plug Count)
9:02 p.m. - Miguel Cabrera up now. John Kruk trying to explain that he picked Cabrera to win effectively, because the Marlins suck.
Is he serious? (on an aside, during the pre-game show, Kruk picked Troy Glaus...he of the one-home run-in-the-first round Glaus')
9:06 p.m. - Cabrera about to knock Papi out. And, maybe I'm drunk, but Joe Morgan is making good points tonight.
And...now Papi can take his spikes off.
9:12 p.m. - Ryan Howard took about 7 pitches before finally swinging...and it was a bomb.
9:13 p.m. - Bonnie Bernstein interviewed Phil Garner about his nickname "Scrapiron," and then inexplicably tried to use the City of Pittsburgh as a segue into the performances of the young NL stars David Wright and Howard.
I'm dizzy and confused.
9:14 p.m. - Joe Morgan compares Ryan Howard to Willie Stargell because of his power to all fields.
He's making solid, educated points, using good examples and real facts. I must be on acid.
9:16 p.m. - Ryan Howard is dropping bombs on your moms (shampoo car alarms).
It's him and David Wright for the trophy.
Harold wants him to go on. Berman wants him to stop. Hey Boomer...remember the gold balls? They're for charity. $21k per.
So you sorta want Howard to go on. And hit a lot of HR with nine outs.
9:20 p.m. - "The Contender" sneaks into the ESPNSPC race. Two spots so far.
Big ups to Peter Manfredo Jr. ... the Pride of Providence.
But the ESPY's lead now. Current tally: ESPY's (4), ESPN 360/Mobile ESPN (3), The Contender (2).
9:24 p.m. - David Wright and Ryan Howard for the Home Run Derby title. And Joe Morgan using the two young guns in the final as a, well, a metaphor for the changing of the guard in the league.
Joe Morgan brought his "A" game tonight.
9:26 p.m. - Before heading to the plate, David Wright yells to his pitcher (Mets catcher Paul LoDuca) "C'mon Dookie!"
Which is really what he needed to be yelling all along, instead of yelling "SHIT!" on live television.
9:32 p.m. - David Wright home runs in the final round: four.
The number of times the ESPN director had to press the seven-second mute button b/c of David Wright's mouth in the final round: five.
Impressive.
9:40 p.m. - Here comes Ryan Howard. His first shot - which Berman said was all the way to Latrobe - cleared the CF batter's eye.
THAT was a shot.
9:43 p.m. - And Ryan Howard is the Home Run Derby champ. VERY impressive.
En route, he hit a sign which gives a fan 500 free flights, courtest of MasterCard. I can tell you this much, my first flight would be from MKE to Providence. I'd pack a few things, then fly to LA, then to Hawaii.
This was fun, kids. Let's blog again sometime soon, kids.
-----
And ESPN 360 makes it four...tying it with the ESPY's, for a combination of eight spots.
And if you're counting at home...the number of anti-steroid commercials? One. At the end of the Home Run Derby. When no one's watching.
Oh well. Enough. G'nite.
One.
