I really do like the Home Run Derby, but I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed for most of this year, despite the great outbursts by Lance Berkman and Miguel Tejada in the second round -- and providing many of the very casual fans to ask whodat?

Berkman had the home crowd behind him, and it really helped that he hit his homers in bunches. In fact, that's when the home run derby becomes fun -- when someone pulls off a streak of four or five in a row and the crowd gets fired up. It's not as exhilarating when someone does a string of "out-homer-out-homer-homer-out-out." There's not much of a groove going on. (To an extent, that would sum up Tejada's first round, as well as Barry Bonds' and Rafael Palmeiro's rounds.) This is where you get to see both sides of the 10-out format instead of the 10-swing style. And honestly, to make a game of it, I'd love to see it redone in the style of the old Home Run Derby show, although that would take too long. (The offseason version that's filmed in Las Vegas isn't all that compelling, though.)

At least they opened the roof for the later rounds. It gave a little more perspective as to how far the homers actually went from righties. Hitting the glass wall doesn't say a whole lot when it's probably closer in than Tal's Hill. But clear the train tracks and it feels like you've hit a bomb. Also, I'm surprised no one cleared the hill in center field during the derby. Even though most of the homers are pull jobs, there's usually one or two dead center moon shots that take out a scoreboard or mascot.

What also killed some of the momentum of this year's derby was all the interviews with the 500-homer club. While it was great to hear what they had to say (as well as keep Chris Berman relatively quiet), it was hard to get into many of the hitters. Miguel Tejada's record round took place while Reggie Jackson hogged the spotlight in his interview. Only when Tejada was getting close to double digits did they start paying attention to him. It was a nice idea in theory, but it seemed way too distracting. At least most of the 500-homer guys they interviewed had slightly better on-air presence than those amazingly awkward interviews during the old Home Run Derby.
"So, Mickey, he sure got a hold of one, didn't he?" "Yup."