After Chase Utley was elminated with a 4 HR evening, I pretty much had tuned out the home run derby. The announcers made a big deal about Chase's swing, but I really think his pitcher didn't do him any favors....too erratic in my opinion (but than again, I was watching with a more critical eye).
The pitcher who did well, and made me sit-up and pay attention, was a 71-year old guy!!! The Josh Hamilton story, which, if he played in any other market but Arlington, Texas would have been exhausted by now, but the story continues....
....especially when he hit 13 CONSECUTIVE home runs, on way to a record 28 in the first round.
Kristy and I were watching as he hit bomb after bomb after bomb. I'd say, opps, a little to inside (home run)....oops, just got under that one (home run), and so on....the guy was taking fly-ball outs, and still muscling them into the front row of the stands.
After awhile, it was...."Can he make 30 in a round" or "can he hit it out of the yard (520+ feet). He had a few which made it into the 500's, and ended up with 3 of the top 10 longest home runs in the HISTORY of the derby.
You don't often get many "wow!" moments...because the game is continuously moving for any one moment to linger...but this was a wow! moment.
What a event....too bad he couldn't finish the night and win. I told Kristy, it might work against him to have that much time off, and swing that many times early...and it did.
The 71 year old guy....he pitched around 85 pitches! While the velocity isn't the same, considering his age & conditioning, that's about the same as a full game.
Great story...I'm quickly becoming a fan of his.
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