Relay races. Outfield target practice. Bunting contests.
None of these will be featured at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, when eight of the league’s biggest power threats step to the plate for the Home Run Derby. But as popular as dingers are, there’s room for creativity and imagination at the Midsummer Classic that, so far, has been left unexplored.
The NBA has its skills competition and three-point contest in addition to the marquee slam dunk contest, while the NFL’s Pro Bowl features precision passing, best catch, a 40-yard dash race and even dodgeball. While home run hitters hog up all the attention during MLB’s All-Star break, what else could be added to the mix to spice things up?
Among the players at this year’s All-Star Game, opinions were varied. Unsurprisingly, pitchers felt particularly aggrieved, and had some ideas to get more involved.
“I think something needs to be there for pitchers,” said White Sox closer Liam Hendriks. “Maybe ball toss? See who could just throw it the farthest? I remember doing that in primary school, so that was fun.”
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By far the most popular idea thrown out was only a slight variation on what exists now: a pitchers-only home run derby. But there were other more outside-the-box suggestions that may or may not make for good TV, including (but not limited to): competitions for home run robberies, “best shift beater,” pitching accuracy, catcher framing and even offhand throwing.
“Opposite arm throwing—I might win it,” said Giants starter Carlos Rodón, specifying the contest would be based on distance, not accuracy.
The KBO put on a bunting derby during its All-Star festivities, though support for such an idea here in the U.S. was not met with much enthusiasm (”I probably wouldn’t watch,” said White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson—RIP, small ball). The home run might reign supreme here, but there are different variations of the home run derby that might broaden our horizons. One such idea? Derby weight classes for little guys with big pop.
“I like that; it can be tough for little guys to hit homers,” Anderson said. “I need a little [pitch] velo, or else it’d be hard.”
One idea that was frequently brought up—and quickly shut down—was a fastest pitch contest. For as much as hurlers love to light up the radar gun, doing so in a competition setting could be detrimental to elbow and shoulder health. But there were those who were happy to volunteer themselves in other skill sets, most notably their sprint speed.
“I think I’m the fastest pitcher, for sure,” said Brewers relief pitcher Devin Williams. “I don’t think anyone’s beating me. [Ryan] Helsley looks like he might be able to move a little bit, though.”
Rather than sprinting, Helsley tossed out an idea to make a competition out of something most pitchers loathe doing: fielding ground balls.
“I like fielding ground balls; maybe we could do that,” the Cardinals’ relief pitcher said. “Or chase down some fly balls or something, if guys really want to get after it. Maybe something like that to kind of show that we’re still athletes out there.”
If pitchers are the forgotten group of skills challenges, then catchers are somewhere even further from the spotlight. While framing strikes or blocking balls in the dirt might not sound like the makings of TV magic, there are other ways to get backstops into the mix.
“I’d like to see something for the catchers,” said Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber. “I think the catchers are kind of like the unseen warriors, so giving them some love. They’re going out there and grinding on two sides of the baseball. … I think if we could showcase the catchers, that would be pretty cool.”
While pitch framing and pop times are obvious catcher skills, one competition that would incorporate all infielders is something that ranks among the earliest drills taught down at the Little League level: throwing the ball around the horn.
“When I went to Cooperstown one year, I think I was like 10 or 12 years old, they did around the horn,” said Yankees catcher Jose Trevino. “I thought that was pretty cool. People come up with a lot of things; it’d be really cool to see anything [different].”
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The arrival of the universal designated hitter brought an end to pitchers hitting, for better and worse. While plenty of pitchers were eager to jump at the chance to step into the batter’s box (“I’d be the first to sign up,” said Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase), all agreed on one stipulation: Shohei Ohtani would be the favorite and therefore would be excluded.
“He’s not in,” Williams said. “He would obviously win.”
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