Cano didn't advance past the first round, Fielder didn't advance, David Ortiz didn't hit.
Bryce Harper shocked the MLB to advance to the finals while Johannes Cespedus leaped ahead and never fell back as he won the Derby off of a monstrous home run total through the first 2 rounds.
Going into last night, not much was expected of this Derby and when Feilder and Cano fell from grace in the first round that stock sank even further. Yet in the span of almost 3 hours last night, sponsored trucks were pelted with baseballs, records were threatened and a 2013 Home Run Derby Champion was crowned.
Beginning in the first round, he came to the plate immediately following a disappointing 5 home run performance by Prince Fielder and immediately followed him up with 17 in his first round at bat, and while numbers like that would actually be enough to carry him all the way to the final, for the other 4 or 5 batter right in the thick of things as they contended for the second round, their ride was anything but easy.
"During the first round when I took my first five swings, I felt I was really in a rhythm and felt that I could put on a show like I did tonight," Cespedes said through a translator.
You see last night was really a showcase of the MLB's best underestimated talent as between Cespedes, Harper and a man named Michael Cuddyer the league's group of budding stars combined for a total of 71 of the 103 long balls loosed last night.
Nevertheless as the second round came to a close, it was a different number that took center stage. While slated to bat last and while your first round score is added onto your second round score, the Derby came to Cespedes in that second round with him really not obligated to hit. Yet as he pondered whether or not to hit, it was made evident that in the team home run category his American League was losing 38 to 42 meaning that if he could put together at least 4 home runs, things would be all tied up for the final thus setting up a winner take all situation.
Knowing this, Cespedes put up those 4 home runs before slowing down yet even in his laid back later second round swing he still managed to put up an additional 2 for good measure before stepping away.
"He's a stud, an absolute stud," Bryce Harper's dad and pitcher throughout the night said about Cespedes "He's got a great swing. I love his swing. He's great for the game."
Fact is last night WAS great for the game, I mean when a guy hits the most home runs in a Derby round, second only to Josh Hamilton and Bobby Abreu that ought to be fun and when you have two very promising second year players facing off to win the Home Run Derby, that WILL be fun.
Batting first, Harper put up a respectable 8 homers while batting first yet had to cringe as Cespedes came storming into form scouring 8 blasts on just 3 outs.
In the end, Cuban born Oakland outfielder Yoanis Cespedes would go "back back back back and GONE" 32 times to win the Home Run Derby yet in the end it was a joint effort between him and guys like Harper and Cuddyer that really created a story.
You see going into last night, many feared that due to a great size of the outfield at City Field in Bronx, the result would be fewer home runs, the answer: 103 long balls, the longest since the 2008 Derby at Yankee Stadium.
Another fear? Yup, in addition to that, once guys like David Wright, Robinson Cano and Prince Fielder fell, fans immediately feared that the competition would take a turn for the worse going slightly stale with short home runs and minimal scores: WRONG!
And last but not least, in a Derby premeditated with the talk of stars like David Ortiz not participating and other who were participating holding back, Yoenis Cespedes made you forget about those fears just 2 batters into the Derby.
Through 3 hours of competition, Cespedes and Harper pelted the hoods and windows of a truck in the outfield Never hit a ground ball and delighted fans of the New York Mets (who really at this point don’t have much regular season fun to cheer about) something to cheer about.
"This probably is the first time it really hit me. It's like, 'Wow, this is what it's all about.' It's really cool, the camaraderie with these guys, even though they're in different leagues, different teams, they're still rooting each other on no matter what.'' Harper's dad said following the Derby and I truth, what he realized last night is truly the way this Home Run Derby was meant to be held.
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