Home Run Derby a major win for MLB
By Travis Koch
The Venue
There are not many cities that triumph Miami when it comes to welcoming stars. We knew the All-Star festivities would be a hit in the limelight of Miami. The limelight is the nightlife in South Beach. Who better to express the Miami nightlife than world-famous musician, Pitbull. Pitbull got the crowd into it right away with a two song performance to open up the Home Run Derby. He then passed the metaphorical mic to the sluggers to begin the show.
A lot of credit goes to Miami’s own Giancarlo Stanton and Justin Bour. Stanton very much epitomizes the city of Miami–the big muscles, the swagger, the bling. Though depriving Miami fans of a multi-round performance, Stanton still put his footprint on the night. The defending derby champion rallied off 16 dingers after a slow start, launching a handful of them over 480 feet. A disappointing end result, but Stanton left the stadium buzzing four hitters into the competition.
Surprise entertainer Justin Bour gave Aaron Judge his greatest test in the first round. Bour knocked 22 homers, all throughout offering gestures to pump up the crowd. Stanton visited his teammate mid-round, shoving a donut in the face of the 6’3”, 265 LB. Justin Bour.
It’s safe to say Giancarlo Stanton and Justin Bour provided the most personality of the Home Run Derby participants. Awfully “Miami” of them.
Miami is also a great location given the demographic of the game. ESPN.com’s Richard Lapchick wrote an article on MLB’s race and gender at the beginning of the season. He noted that Latin players makeup 31.9% of Major League Baseball, the majority of any race. We all know of Miami’s proximity to Latin American countries, and how Miami is home to many Latin American immigrants. Hence, the location played perfectly to the hype and ultimately the ratings. It also helped that Dominican’s Miguel Sano and Gary Sanchez participated, and put on a home run clinic.