Texas’s Arlington Major League Baseball aims to field as many celebrities as possible in the eight-man Home Run Derby each summer. Some collections are better than others, depending on which sluggers volunteer. Many celebrities have skipped the event entirely or only attended once in order to check the box in recent years. However, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets has been a reliable fixture in the league for the last five years.
Among his celebrity counterparts, Alonso is unmatched. The slugger throws a fierce polar bear hug to the Home Run Derby. When he received the call last week informing him that he had made the National League All-Star squad, he didn’t think twice about accepting another invitation to Monday’s game at Globe Life Field since he loves the Home Run Derby. By the end of the day, he announced his intention to compete on his Instagram page with a highlight video.
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According to 29-year-old Alonso, “it’s just one of those things that I’m keeping a promise to my childhood self because it was a dream.” And now that I’ve had so much support from so many wonderful individuals in my life, I’m in a position to take part. It truly is a blessing and a dream realized.”
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Alonso will be making his fifth appearance in the Derby overall, and his fifth consecutive. Prior to failing the previous two years, he had won it in 2019 and 2021 on his first two attempts. With Alonso in the mix, MLB had an easy plot: Ken Griffey Jr. is the only player to have won the Derby three times since it began in 1985. Alonso is trying to break longball records.
Not many anticipated that Alonso, the lone representative for the Mets, would make the All-Star team. This season, he is on track to set career lows in both home runs and on-base percentage. Colleagues with more impressive resumes are outfielder Brandon Nimmo and shortstop Francisco Lindor. However, the league designated Alonso as an NL reserve, which ironically ensured that Alonso would be present for the Home Run Derby. Regarding the choice to include Alonso on the All-Star squad, MLB chose not to comment.
Last week, Alonso admitted to ESPN that he hadn’t given any thought to whether or not he would have volunteered for the event had he not been an All-Star. Alonso did not make the All-Star team, but he did win the Denver Home Run Derby in 2021. The only player who isn’t an All-Star will be Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis García, who will participate in the event at his home ballpark this year.
Only three players in this year’s field had experience in the Home Run Derby: José Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians, Alonso, and García. The only person with several appearances is Alonso. Among the other contenders are American League MVP hopefuls Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr., two of the league’s top young players. Six of the participants place among the top 25 on the 2024 home run leaderboard overall. Alec Bohm, an All-Star for the first time, has the fewest home runs in the group with 11, which places him 89th in baseball.
The NBA’s slam dunk competition has declined over the last ten years, but the Home Run Derby is far from going through that same situation. There aren’t many bench players on the team. Not only are minor leaguers not competing in the tournament, but they are not even winning it. Superstars in baseball still make an occasional appearance.
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However, it doesn’t draw the best sluggers in the game as frequently as it used to when home run champions like Griffey, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa were frequent opponents. In his prime, Griffey was a 13-time All-Star and the face of baseball, and he made a record eight trips to the Derby. McGwire scored seven goals. Each of Bonds and Sosa made six.
Players have turned down offers for years, saying they are afraid the demanding practice will impair their play during the All-Star break. Nonetheless, the splits demonstrate that Alonso has improved since the Derby: Throughout his career, Alonso has had superior season-ending batting averages, on-base percentages, and slugging percentages.
Alonso stated, “I think that helps lock me in for the second half.”
Several of MLB’s most well-liked power hitters won’t be in this year’s edition. This year’s Home Run Derby participants include All-Stars Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.; however, they will be spectators.
Ohtani, the National League’s home run leader and a 2021 participant, first expressed his desire to participate, but the Los Angeles Dodgers declined to allow him to do so while he finishes his recovery from elbow surgery in order to pitch in the upcoming season. 2018’s winner Bryce Harper recently had a left hamstring injury, which put him on the injured list. The 2022 champion Juan Soto, an upcoming free agent, has been playing through inflammation in his forearm for the majority of the season and has been dealing with a sore right hand in recent weeks.
“My agent, Scott Boras, and I evaluated that,” Soto stated in Spanish. “After giving it some thinking, I ultimately made the decision not to. We have a bright future and are in a crucial season for the team. Nevertheless, I believe that the best course of action is to try to get enough rest, participate in the All-Star Game, enjoy the spectacle, and try to enter the game in the second half in order to help the team advance to the postseason.”
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Judge, who has 34 home runs to lead the majors, hasn’t taken part in the Derby since winning it as a rookie in 2017. There’s no guarantee he’ll play in the All-Star Game again during his career, but he has stated he will when it returns to New York. Both Yordan Álvarez, who has never competed, and Guerrero, the winner from last year, told reporters lately that they were just not interested in this year’s competition.
Alonso thinks in a distinct way. It was in 2008, at Yankee Stadium, that he first became enthralled with the Derby after witnessing Josh Hamilton smash a record-tying 28 home runs in one round. Eleven years later, Alonso made his Derby debut, destroying the Cleveland opposition and setting a rookie record with 53 home runs in the regular season. Since then, he hasn’t missed a Derby.
The Mets slugger’s motivation this year goes beyond his enthusiasm for the competition: according to Alonso, New Era has committed to pay $70,000 to his humanitarian foundation, on top of whatever prize money he earns, if he meets specific goals. The event has had a $2.5 million prize pool since 2019, with $1 million going to the winner.
“With that, we’re going to help patch up a lot of fields in some not-so-great locations that need some sensitive love and care,” Alonso stated. “And offer youngsters an opportunity to develop a love for the game and, maybe, motivate some kids to play baseball.”
Along the way, he might serve as an inspiration to the next Home Run Derby winner.
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Collins Drafted by New York Mets in Sixth Round of MLB Draft……
The New York Mets picked Corey Collins, an infielder/outfielder for the University of Georgia, with the 173rd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft on Monday afternoon.
During his time at Georgia, the Suwanee native played in 195 games, making 184 starts. He finished with a batting average of.289, 45 home runs, 31 doubles, and 152 RBI. With an on-base percentage of.574 in 2024 during his senior year, he became the first player from the Southeastern Conference to lead the NCAA in that category.
Baseball America’s Second Team All-American for first base in 2024 was the 6-3, 236-pound player. He had a career-high batting season.354 with a school-record 28 hits by pitches, 20 home runs, 58 RBI, 56 walks, and 56 walks. Collins played for the 10th-ranked Bulldogs in 52 games, including 46 starts, at five different positions. Both the regional All-Tournament Team and the NCAA Athens Regional Most Outstanding Player awards went to him.
Collins is fourth in school history with 45 career home runs. On March 19, he hit three home runs in his first three at-bats against Wofford, tying a school record.
Rounds 11–20 of the 2024 MLB Draft will take place tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. You can watch it live on MLB.com.
Following Charlie Condon’s selection by the Colorado Rockies at third overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Collins is the second Bulldog chosen. Collins will join Dylan Ross, a left-handed pitcher selected by the Mets in the 13th round of the 2022 draft, in the organization.
At least one Bulldogs player has signed a professional contract for 51 consecutive seasons. In addition, Georgia has had a player selected since 1987 at the very least.
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS: Go to www.georgiadogs.com for up-to-date baseball information, and follow the Bulldogs on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (@baseballuga, @BaseballUGA, and @baseballuga, respectively).
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Athens As the top-drafted Bulldog chosen in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft on Sunday night, Charlie Condon of the University of Georgia made history.
The Colorado Rockies selected 6-6, 216-pound third baseman/outfielder Condon third overall. After finishing sixth in 1980 to the San Diego Padres, Condon passed Jeff Pyburn.
“It’s incredibly thrilling to be a part of an organization with so much history in such a cool ballpark with really great people all around,” Condon remarked. It’s been fantastic. My UGA teammates who have helped me get to this point are the only thing on my mind. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be here. That is something I will never forget.”
Earlier in the season, he made history by becoming the first Bulldog to win the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award, the Dick Howser Trophy, and the Golden Spikes Award.
Baseball America, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game selected Condon, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, as a consensus All-American and Player of the Year.
The Marietta, Georgia native led the country in both batting average (.433) and home runs (37) in the same season during his Bulldog career, making him the third player in NCAA history to accomplish it. In addition, Condon led the NCAA in OPS (1.565), home runs per game (.62), and slugging percentage (1.009). As a five-position player for the Bulldogs in 2024, he also recorded a team-high 57 walks, including 28 intentional free passes.
Condon won the team’s Triple Crown in his rookie season by batting.385 with 25 home runs and 67 RBI, ranking among the best freshmen and all-around seasons in school history. Consensus winner of the SEC Freshman of the Year award, he hit at least one home run in each SEC series while hitting.339-16-30 in league play, setting the record for most SEC Freshman Home Runs with 25. Condon was also a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and a Finance major.
Under first-year Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson, Condon is the highest-drafted Bulldog in Georgia baseball history. With Condon added, Georgia now has 12 players (compensation and competitive balance picks) chosen in the first round.
Johnson remarked, “Drafting Charlie this high is a credit to his great work ethic and determination.” It emphasizes that even if you weren’t heavily recruited out of high school, you can still reach an exceptional level with persistence and hard effort. His path is a reflection of his parents’ constant support and direction as well as the priceless contributions of all the coaches who shaped his skill and character. Charlie considers this accomplishment to be both a personal triumph and a source of pride for the University of Georgia baseball program.
Tomorrow at 2:00 PM, the 2024 MLB Draft will resume with rounds three through ten. Rounds 11–20 of the draft begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the last day of the draft. You can watch it live on MLB.com.
At least one Bulldogs player has signed a professional contract for 51 consecutive seasons. In addition, Georgia has had a player selected since 1987 at the very least.
The 2023 draft included two Bulldogs. The Pirates selected LHP Jaden Woods in the seventh round of the draft. The Nationals selected LHP Liam Sullivan in the 13th round. Alongside Aaron Schunk, Condon will be a member of the Rockies team.
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS: Go to www.georgiadogs.com for up-to-date baseball information, and follow the Bulldogs on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (@baseballuga, @BaseballUGA, and @baseballuga, respectively).
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