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AssumedPseudonym
Joined: 10/26/2016
Posts: 1130

Deerfield Beach Rats
V.7

Broken Bat Baseball
 It’s a farce. Seriously. The winner of the Home Run Derby hit a grand total of fifty-seven home runs — not even the second best overall total for the night. I’m not saying anything bad about Alonso’s ability, but he does not deserve to be crowned the Home Run Derby champion. Not when there were two players who hit more home runs on the night than he did. Certainly not when one of those two hit over half again as many as the other. This is so far beyond ridiculous that my vocabulary is having trouble expressing just how far.
MukilteoMike
Joined: 08/09/2014
Posts: 3294

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
You win and lose by the rules. It's basically playoff elimination. Win a game, move on. Past games don't matter. Just like the Derby doesn't matter. It's fun. Don't take it seriously.
AssumedPseudonym
Joined: 10/26/2016
Posts: 1130

Deerfield Beach Rats
V.7

Broken Bat Baseball
 Watching a guy in a home run contest lose to somebody who hit less than two-thirds his home run total is not fun.

 I won’t lie, I didn’t really expect to care much about the Derby when I turned it on. I mostly only expected to pay attention while Acuña was batting because I’m a Braves fan, and watching him spray home runs all over the field in the first round was fun. And yes, watching Vlad absolutely unload was also fun.

 And then the second round match-up between Guerrero and Pederson happened. That was fun. That was absolute joy.

 …And then the ridiculousness that is the current Home Run Derby format happened. Yes, I understand that it’s the current rules. What I’m saying is that the current rules are stupid, and need to be fixed. It’s not like MLB hasn’t changed the format before, and this season’s Home Run Debacle is as solid a case as you can get that its bracket setup needs to be scrapped. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. hit more home runs in one night than anyone not named Joc Pederson or Todd Frazier hit in multiple appearances[ in the Derby, and all he gets is a “Thanks for playing!” out of it? Wow, MLB. What a way to suck all the fun out of the event.

 The current bracket format is flawed, ridiculous, stupid… pick your adjective. What it is not is fun. I mean, yeah, sure, it gave us one really intense round, but then it turned right around and delivered a round that sent the whole Derby right past the toilet and all the way down to the septic tank.

 Am I taking this too seriously? Maybe. But I needed to rant. I do tend to take fun seriously. I like having fun, and when something comes along and makes a mockery of that fun, it rarely fails to piss me off. (Incidentally, this is also why I play Pathfinder instead of D&D now, because 4e was an abomination and 5e didn’t do nearly enough to fix it, but that’s another rant.)
MukilteoMike
Joined: 08/09/2014
Posts: 3294

Inactive

Broken Bat Baseball
In the playoffs, you don't keep a run total of all games to see who the winner is. That's basically what this is. I know many share your thoughts about the result, but I'm not in that boat with you. What do you think they should do, just give everyone two rounds and total their homers? That wouldn't be as exciting. Part of what made last night great was so many rounds going down to the last swing. I'd rather have the playoff approach.
Seca
Joined: 05/05/2014
Posts: 5193

Waterloo Dinosaurs
Legends

Broken Bat Baseball
It might help to view it as pvp.

I grew up on a farm with 2 channels on the TV. When I was 12 we got a satellite dish and my world changed. I don't mean the adult channels. I got WGN. Cubs games. Harry Carey. And this b&w show called Home Run Derby that seemed to star Ernie Banks.

I didn't see this year's contest. Heard our boy Vladito acquitted himself well. What I have seen of the format in recent years is very true to the old TV show. Pvp. Beat your opponent. Works for me.


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