Sports Redux: The Long Ball

The art of hitting was on full display on Monday night, as Major League Baseball took a step back to let baseball fans and a select group of people actually willing to risk their home run totals during the second half crop of superstar sluggers take pleasure in the primal act of hitting a baseball super wicked far. The annual Home Run Derby competition, unofficially named the We Love Albert Pujols Here Home Run Derby this year, was supposed to be all about the St. Louis Cardinal-turned-unofficial-city-ambassador.

Then Prince Fielder showed up. While Pujols made it exciting for the hometown crowd by muscling his way into a three way bat-off with Carlos Pena and Joe Mauer, Fielder and derby surprise Nelson Cruz were busy pounding the ball out of Busch Stadium. Eleven homers in the first round and six in the second and third rounds (followed by Cruz's 11-5-5 showing) earned the Brewer the home run title.

We also learned mmediately on Monday night that one of Fielder's blasts traveled a ridiculous 503 feet. How did we know? The ESPN Comet Tracker Thingy (if that's not the official name, it should be), which tracked each ball as it left the bat. When the blast was sure to be a homer, the yellow comet trail turned green.

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We still don't get the point of it, but perhaps we're just too old school. We'll have to beam will.i.am into Bostonist HQ so he can explain it all to us.

Tonight, of course, baseball's best will face off for glory, bragging rites and, most importantly, home field advantage for the World Series. Some will - and do - say that the All-Star Game has lost its luster. We acknowledge that, with a 162-game regular season, a couple of days in July to take a breather can be advantageous to players and fans alike. But it's hard to be a Boston sports fan and not feel giddy about tonight. Not only do we have a more-than-healthy showing from the Boston crew, we have the opportunity to finally, officially toast Tim Wakefield the All-Star. That in and of itself is going to be enough to get many a New England television flipped over to the game.

In other news, Pedro the Philly is looking more and more likely, the idea of Roy Halladay getting traded is getting more and more muddled and the worst-kept secret in Boston will be officially announced tomorrow.