Nats’ Harper hero at Home Run Derby
WASHINGTON: Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper delighted homeballpark supporters on Monday by winning Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby, smashing the decisive homer to centrefield with his final swing of the bat.
The 25-year-old from Las Vegas edged Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber 19-18 in the final of the ball-bashing competition for some of the top major league sluggers.
“It was unbelievable,” Harper said. “Just having the crowd out there, I really fed off them. It was an incredible moment not only for me but the organisation and Nationals fans.
“I’ve been here since I was 17 years old. I’ve grown up in front of these fans.”
The contest serves as a warm-up attraction for this morning’s 89th MLB All-Star Game, the first in the US capital since 1969.
Players had four minutes to smack as many home runs as they could over the outfield walls in a knockout format, with bonus time earned for especially long blasts.
Schwarber batted first in the final, the fifth seed smashing nine homers before calling a time-out with 1:49 minutes remaining, then bashing nine more, setting Harper a total of 18 to beat.
Harper, in his first Home Run Derby since 2013, thrilled a home-stadium crowd of 43,698 at Nationals Park that chanted “Let’s go Harper.”
Second-seeded Harper swatted only four homers in the first 82 seconds before calling a time-out, then hit five more before stopping again with 80 seconds to go. He was nine shy of equalising as he chatted with Nationals star Max Scherzer, the National League All-Star Game starting pitcher.
“I had nine after that second time-out,” Harper said. “I said, ‘Max, I’ve got to hit nine.’ He said, ‘No, you’ve got to hit 10.’”
Harper smashed four in a row from the 30-second mark and another on the final pitch to equal Schwarber on 18, but he had earned a 30-second time bonus for a chance to win.
The winning homer came on the second pitch Harper faced, a high-soaring blast over the centrefield wall, and streamers were fired from the top of the ballpark to celebrate the triumph.
“That was the kid in me you saw tonight,” Harper said. “I was very fortunate to be able to show that to everybody. This was for the whole city of DC. I feel very fortunate to bring it back to them.”
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, the 2017 winner, did not participate and Harper made it clear he won’t be defending his title either.
“I don’t have to do it ever again so that’s great. My oblique is going to be feeling it tomorrow,” Harper said. “If it wasn’t in front of my home crowd, I wouldn’t have done it.”