| Cespedes Wins 2nd Straight HR Derby |
| By Sally Haase July 15, 2014 The rain delayed the contest for an hour but it did not dampen the sprits of the players and the 40,000 plus fans in attendance at Target Field for the Homerun derby contest. Ten players, five from each league took their chance at the plate to see if they could knock the ball out of a park that’s less than homerun friendly. The “visiting” National League team was captained by Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki who chose teammate Justin Morneau, Dodger Yasiel Puig, Reds Todd Frazier, and Marlin Giancarlo Stanton to round out his team. American League captain Jose Bautista had Twin Brian Dozier, Oriole Adam Jones, and Athletics Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes took home the derby crown last year. The selection of Morneau for the derby gave Twins fans a chance to finally say thank you and goodbye to the man who roamed 1st base for a decade. Morneau received a lengthy ovation when he was announced and when he stepped into the batter’s box. Unfortunately, the cheers from the crowd could not lift the home town players beyond the second round. Dozier finished with two homeruns and Morneau was tied with Frazier after the first round, leading to a “swing off”, Frazier edged Morneau and advanced to the next round. Bautista and Stanton earned byes for the second round because a new rule automatically advanced the highest total in each league to the third round. Bautista hit the most of any players in a round with ten. However it was Stanton who put on a show in the first round, with long blasts to the deepest parts of the ballpark. One was in the third deck, about six rows from leaving the stadium completely. Stanton lost his groove by the time came back up to bat, hitting zero homeruns in the third round. The final round came down to Frazier and Cespedes, Cespedes hit nine homeruns to Frazier’s one in the final, coasting to his second homerun derby victory in as many years. His is the first back to back winner since Ken Griffey Jr. did it 15 years prior. The homerun derby returned to its roots in Minnesota, the first All-Star homerun derby was held in the Metrodome in 1985. It was first held as a team competition that the American League won. |
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