This is a bit of a rant. if it doesn't make sense, apologies all around.

For starters, let's look back  to a more innocent time and place, the 2004 home run derby.

That year, the results were as follow:

First Place           Miguel Tejada

Second Place     Lance Berkman

Third Place         Rafael Palmiero

Fourth Place       Barry Bonds

Fifth Place          Sammy Sosa

What an illustrious collection of ballplayers, so many memories. But now, lets flash forward to 2009. Below are the participants in the 2009 state farm home run derby at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, July 13:

NL, Bats, Age, 2008 homeruns, Career homeruns                                           2009 HR Total
Lance Berkman, HOU, S, 32, 28 (T-7th in NL), 281                                              currently 17  (look he's back!)
Ryan Braun, MIL, R, 24, 23(T-4th in NL), 57                                                           currently 16
Dan Uggla, FLA, R, 28, 23(T-4th in NL), 81                                                             currently 15
Chase Utley, PHI, L, 29, 25(T-3rd in NL), 122                                                         currently 17

AL, Bats, Age, 2008 homeruns, Career homeruns
Josh Hamilton, TEX, L, 27, 21 (T-2nd in AL), 40                                                   currently 6 (multiple injuries this season)
Evan Longoria, TB, R, 22, 16(T-14th in AL), 16                                                     currently 16
Justin Morneau, MIN, L, 27, 14(T-21st in AL), 124                                                currently 19!
Grady Sizemore, CLE, L, 25, 23(1st in AL), 101                                                    currently 10

Looks like a good clean group of guys (fingers crossed). And let's hope so, and that it stays clean. even if the home run totals drop and people stop paying attention and they ultimately drop the whole event.

Now compare this list of participants with the current mlb home run leaders (those all stars not participating the the home run derby are in bold type):

1 A Puljols, St. Louis 30 (hey isn't that where the all-star game is?) and i believe he received enough votes to be on the team. why not entertain the home crowd with that awesome slugging? WHY!!! wants to protect his elbow?

2 A. Gonzalez San Diego 24  

3 C. Pena TB 23   

4 R Ibanez Phi 22               Another all star apparently chooses not to participate. AWW

5 M Reynolds Ari 22

6  P Fielder Mil 21

7 R Branyan SEA  20

8 A Dunn Wash 20

9 R Howard Phi 20

10 M Texiera NYY 20          Yankee fans disappointed. BOO

So what does it all mean?  

a the home run derby was, maybe not intentionally, created as a showcase for feats of performance enhanced strength. it's a dirty contest. 

b. the players in bold stick out like sore thumbs and draw more suspicion on themselves by not participating.

c. wouldn't it be just as fair to fans if one player from each team were allowed to destroy their bodies, so long as their identity were public property? 

d. cheating helps the bottom line and mlb franchises have made, let's be honest, billions off the steroid era. 

e. juan pierre sits on the bench and good guys everywhere who care to notice this feel betrayed. (wait wait, torre put pierre in for manny!  good guys keep hope alive!) 

f.......

Just spend about 20 minutes clicking repeatedly in order to get some pierre votes in. My votes usually go to Dodgers and Red Sox players. But not exclusively. Players and reasons below:

2009 All Star Game

Rob voted 25 times for:

NL

First               James Loney LAD                - pretty good

Second          Orlando Hudson LAD        - much deserved

Third              Casey Blake LAD               - much deserved

Shortstop       Rafael Furcal LAD              - good game today!

Catcher          J. Flores WAS                     - i like martin, but why reward a so-so performance. the nats need votes.

Outfielder       Andre Ethier  LAD              - sure, fine, finally started hitting. 

Outfielder       Matt Kemp  LAD                 - much deserved

Outfielder                                                     - that is all

Write In          Juan Pierre LAD                  - most deserved, the reason for voting at all

AL 

First                K Youkilis BOS                    - my least favorite sawk; his large head makes me go hmm

Second           D Pedroia BOS                  - inspiring!

Third               C Figgins  LAA                   - he's like the AL juan pierre      

Shortstop        E Aybar   LAA                    - no reason, other names just didn't ring a bell

Catcher           J Saltamacchia TEX       -  just thought it was an interesting name

Outfielder       JD Drew BOS                    - bad in LA, good in BOS

Outfielder       J Ellsbury BOS                  - for saving the red sox from coco crisp at the plate

Outfielder       I. Suzuki  SEA                   - i hear he's pretty good

I have heard bits of info about how they are planning to transform the whole outer part of the stadium, add shopping areas  and so forth. If so, when? This sounds like a big change.

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The Other guys keep finding a way!

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Things don't always turn out the way you imagine - which makes the game interesting. Chan Ho Park does have something, something I never saw when he was a Dodger, but which is magically on display elsewhere. JD Drew Syndrome. I thought for shoooore the Dodgers would chase him from the mound in short order, that it was a lock he would serve up runs, but something has changed. 

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Dodgers sudden underdogs, suddenly interesting!

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