Home Run Derby

From BR Bullpen

Note: This page links to the Home Run Derby on All-Star Monday. For the television program that aired from 1959 to 1961 click here.

The Major League Baseball All-Star Home Run Derby has taken on many forms since its beginning in 1985. It is an afternoon to evening event on the Monday before the All-Star Game. It has been televised nationally since 1990 on ESPN.

[edit] Format

When the Derby first began in 1985 each player received two turns at bat with five outs per turn at bat. Any swing that was not a home run was an out. This format allowed for the possiblity of ties. The derby started out as a contest between the two leagues, with each league having an equal number of players. At the first derby there were ten players (five per league), by the second the number was down to six (three per league) and the third only featured four sluggers.

The 1988 derby at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OH was cancelled due to rain. From 1989 to 1994, there were eight players invited, four from each league.

The format changed in 1991 to three rounds rather than two innings. Each player would receive ten outs per round. The top four players with the most home runs in the first round would move on to the second round. The top two hitters in the second round would bat for the championship. From 1996 to 1999 there were ten competitors at the derby.

The format of the derby was changed in 2000 when after the first round the four advancing players were put into two seeded brackets, with the winners of each matchup advancing to the finals. This format was used from 2000 to 2003.

In 2005, as part of the announcement of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, the derby featured eight players representing their native countries rather than their respective leagues. The nations represented were Canada, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Korea, United States, and Venezuela. Andruw Jones represented the Netherlands having been born on Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles.

The rules changed once again in 2006, when total home runs replaced round by round totals. The top four hitters in the first round would advance to the semifinals, and their home run total from the first round would carry into the semifinals. The two players with the most home runs in the semifinals (which includes the player's first round clouts) would advance to the finals. At this point the home run totals would be cleared.

In 2011, a captain was chosen in each league, responsible for picking his three teammates, in order to give an extra incentive for the chosen sluggers to agree to take part. David Ortiz and Prince Fielder were the first two captains.

[edit] Golden Ball

At both the 2005 and 2006 derbies, Century 21 - a real estate company - sponsored a charity tie-in with the event. The Golden Ball was used once a player reaches nine outs, thus having only one out remaining. For each home run hit with a golden ball, Century 21 and Major League Baseball would donate $21,000 to charity. In both derbies, fourteen homers were hit raising $294,000 in each year.

The 2007 and 2008 editions of the gold ball were sponsored by State Farm Insurance. They pledged $17,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs across the country for every home run hit with 9 outs.

The 17,000 supposedly represents the number of State Farm Agents across the country.

[edit] Derby Records

• Most wins: 3; Ken Griffey, Jr. (1994, 1998, 1999)
• Most appearances: 8; Ken Griffey, Jr. (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
• Most home runs, one round: Josh Hamilton; 28 (2008, First Round)
• Most home runs, one event: Bobby Abreu; 41 (2005)

[edit] Derby Winners

[edit] Yearly Results

[edit] 1985

held on Monday, July 15, 1985 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

[edit] 1986

held on Monday, July 14, 1986 at Astrodome

[edit] 1987

held on Monday, July 13, 1987 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

[edit] 1988

The 1988 Home Run Derby was to be held at Riverfront Stadium, but was cancelled due to rain

[edit] 1989

held on Monday, July 10, 1989 at Anaheim Stadium

[edit] 1990

held on Monday, July 9, 1990 at Wrigley Field

[edit] 1991

held on Monday, July 8, 1991 at SkyDome

[edit] 1992

held on Monday, July 13, 1992 at Jack Murphy Stadium

[edit] 1993

held on Monday, July 12, 1993 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

• First Extra Round: Griffey Jr., 4; Gonzalez, 4
• Second Extra Round: Gonzalez, 1; Griffey Jr., 0 - Juan Gonzalez wins the home-run derby

[edit] 1994

held on Monday, July 11, 1994 at Three Rivers Stadium

[edit] 1995

The American League won the contest over the National League, 21 homers to 9.

held on Monday, July 10, 1995 at The Ballpark in Arlington

[edit] 1996

The American League won the contest over the National League, 17 homers to 10.

held on Monday, July 8, 1996 at Veterans Stadium

[edit] 1997

The American League won the contest over the National League, 17 homers to 14. The American League contingent featured six players to the National League's four.

held on Monday, July 7, 1997 at Jacobs Field

[edit] 1998

The American League won the contest over the National League, 29 homers to 24.

held on Monday, July 6, 1998 at Coors Field

[edit] 1999

The National League won the contest over the American League, 27 homers to 10.

held on Monday, July 12, 1999 at Fenway Park

[edit] 2000

The National League won the contest over the American League, 16 homers to 14.

held on Monday, July 10, 2000 at Turner Field

[edit] 2001

The American League won the contest over the National League, 19 homers to 17.

held on Monday, July 9, 2001 at Safeco Field

[edit] 2002

The American League won the contest over the National League, 22 homers to 21.

held on Monday, July 8, 2002 at Miller Park

Giambi advanced to the Finals after swingoff versus Konerko.

[edit] 2003

The American League won the contest over the National League, 21 homers to 13.

held on Monday, July 14, 2003 at U.S. Cellular Field

Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols advanced the the semifinals over Gary Sheffield due to higher season-to-date home run totals; Edmonds had 28, Pujols had 27 , while Sheffield had 22.

Semifinals matchups were determined by first round home run totals, with the season-to-date home run total being the tie-breaker.

[edit] 2004

The National League won the contest over the American League, 24 homers to 22.

held on Monday, July 12, 2004 at Minute Maid Park

Tejada hit the winning home run with 5 outs remaining in final round.

[edit] 2005

The derby featured players representing seven nations, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States that would play in the following year's World Baseball Classic, therefore the league representation was unbalanced with five National Leaguers versus three from the American League.

held on Monday, July 11, 2005 at Comerica Park

Player	Nation	Team	First Round	Semifinals	Finals	Total
Bobby Abreu	Venezuela	Philadelphia Phillies	24	6	11	41
Ivan Rodriguez	Puerto Rico	Detroit Tigers	7	8	5	20
Carlos Lee	Panama	Milwaukee Brewers	11	4	-	15
David Ortiz	Dominican Republic	Boston Red Sox	17	3	-	20
Hee-Seop Choi	South Korea	Los Angeles Dodgers	5	-	-	5
Andruw Jones	Netherlands	Atlanta Braves	5	-	-	5
Mark Teixeira	United States	Texas Rangers	2	-	-	2
Jason Bay	Canada	Pittsburgh Pirates	0	-	-	0

[edit] 2006

The National League won the contest over the American League, 40 homers to 17.

held on Monday, July 10, 2006 at PNC Park

Howard hit the winning home run with 5 outs remaining in final round.

[edit] 2007

The American League won the contest over the National League, 42 homers to 32.

held on Monday, July 9, 2007 at AT&T Park

[edit] 2008

The American League won the contest over the National League, 66 homers to 39.

held on Monday, July 14, 2008 at Yankee Stadium

[edit] 2009

The National League won the contest over the American League, 51 homers to 31.

held on Monday, July 13, 2009 at Busch Stadium

Pujols, Pena, and Mauer had a swing-off for the final second-round position. Swing-off home runs are not counted toward the player's or league's total.

[edit] 2010

The American League won the contest over the National League, 50 homers to 44.

held on Monday, July 12, 2010 at Angel Stadium

[edit] 2011

The American League won the contest over the National League in a landslide, 76 homers to 19.

held on Monday, July 11, 2011 at Chase Field

• Fielder and Ortiz won a swing-off against Holliday to advance to the second round. Swing-off totals (in parentheses) are not counted towards individual or league totals.

[edit] 2012

held on Monday, July 9, 2012 at Kauffman Stadium

[edit] Further Reading

• Joseph McCollum and Marcus Jaiclin: "Home Run Derby Curse: Fact or Fiction ?", The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Vol. 39, Number 2 (Fall 2010), pp. 37-40.