One million reasons to win HR Derby
Jim Thome holds the record for the longest home run in Progressive Field history, a 511foot shot against Kansas City in 1999. Two years earlier, the Hall of Fame slugger recorded a more dubious mark during the All-Star Home Run Derby.
“I didn't hit one,” Thome said sheepishly.
It's a safe bet that none of the eight participants in this year's field, which no longer includes Milwaukee's Christian Yelich, the majors' home-run leader, will get blanked Monday night as some of baseball's biggest bats swing for the fences while vying for $1 million — the richest winning prize in the popular event's 34year history.
The players will take aim at the downtown ballpark's towering left-field bleachers, which Mark McGwire cleared with a mammoth blast in 1997 that dented a giant Budweiser billboard. There's a pedestrian bridge down the line that could see some action, and if the wind is blowing just so to right-center, it could give Cleveland's own Carlos Santana an advantage.
One thing is certain: This year's contestants are taking it very seriously.
Over the past week, Yelich, who withdrew from the competition citing a back injury, Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and several others have been practicing before their games while trying to simulate derby conditions.
On Friday, Yelich, the NL's reigning MVP, got loose by blasting a ball out of Pittsburgh's PNC Park that splashed in the Allegheny River only after smashing a boat's window.
Maybe that swing took too much out of him.
As players in the Futures Game took batting practice Sunday, Major League Baseball announced Yelich is being replaced by Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman.
MEXICO BEATS USMNT IN GOLD CUP
In a heated and tightly-contested battle, Mexico knocked off the U.S. Men’s National Team in the final of the Gold Cup, 1-0. The match winner came in the 73rd minute when Mexico striker Raul Jimenez held up the ball in the box for Jonathan dos Santos, who kissed the ball off the inside of the crossbar and past U.S. goalkeeper Zack Steffen.
The U.S. had a couple of dangerous opportunities to equalize late in the match, but they could not find the back of the net in the end. Mexico has now won the Gold Cup eight times in the tournament's 56year history, and has lost to the United States just once in the last five competitive fixtures between the fierce rivals.
LIBERTY STREAK SNAPPED
Kayla McBride scored 24 points and Liz Cambage added 21 to lead the Las Vegas Aces to a 90-58 rout over the Liberty on Sunday, ending the Liberty's four-game winning streak.
Tina Charles scored 13 points to lead New York while second-leading scorer Kia Nurse had a rough game going 1-for-13 from the field. She missed her first 11 shots before hitting a layup early in the fourth quarter.