{"id":49116,"date":"2025-08-06T09:02:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T09:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/49116\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T09:02:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T09:02:10","slug":"more-home-run-derbies-mlb-teams-are-expanding-on-the-all-star-concept","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/49116\/","title":{"rendered":"More Home Run Derbies? MLB Teams Are Expanding on the All-Star Concept"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Maybe the Home Run Derby doesn\u2019t have to be limited to All-Star weekend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/milwaukee-brewers-team\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Milwaukee Brewers<\/a> had Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and several other former players competing in an alumni home run derby that followed a game with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/miami-marlins-team\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Miami Marlins<\/a> last month. The promotion helped draw a sellout crowd of 41,944 fans, with nearly all of them sticking around to watch the postgame event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Other clubs noticed, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">&#8220;I thought it was a great idea and applaud them,&#8221; Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said. &#8220;I believe all of us will be considering something similar.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Brewers manager Pat Murphy is among those already has been conjuring up ways to expand on this idea.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">&#8220;I think it just opens the door,&#8221; Murphy said. &#8220;Can you imagine the Brewers versus the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/chicago-cubs-team\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cubs<\/a> home run derby \u2014 their three legends versus legends of ours. You know what I mean? Can you imagine that happening around the league?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">The Brewers\u2019 home run derby occurred 11 days after Seattle\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/cal-raleigh-player\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cal Raleigh<\/a> won Major League Baseball\u2019s Home Run Derby and 10 days after the All-Star Game was decided on a swing-off. With the game tied 6-6 after nine innings, three batters from each league took three swings and Philadelphia\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/kyle-schwarber-player\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Schwarber<\/a> homered three times to give the NL a 4-3 victory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said a half-dozen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MLB<\/a> teams reached out after their alumni home run derby to get information on how well it had worked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Milwaukee\u2019s promotion was part of a 25th-anniversary celebration of American Family Field. Keon Broxton, who played for the Brewers from 2016-18, won the event and recreated Fielder\u2019s most famous home-run celebration by standing tall at home while the teammates surrounding him fell back like a collection of bowling pins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">&#8220;It was awesome,&#8221; Broxton said afterward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Milwaukee wasn\u2019t the first team to do this kind of promotion. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/houston-astros-team\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Houston Astros<\/a> staged their own alumni home run derby events in 2018 and 2019. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/atlanta-braves-team\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Atlanta Braves<\/a> had an alumni softball home run derby last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">The format represents a different way to welcome back former players rather than having the traditional Old Timers\u2019 Day games from yesteryear. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/new-york-yankees-team\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">New York Yankees<\/a> are holding their first Old Timers\u2019 Day game since 2019 on Aug. 9, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/mlb\/new-york-mets-team\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">New York Mets<\/a> are having an alumni game Sept. 13.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">But the Brewers\u2019 event last weekend generated plenty of national attention, particularly when highlights aired showing how the stands stayed packed throughout the event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">&#8220;The guys that were all here, we all said we\u2019d be back for anything like that, whether it\u2019s something like what Murph suggested or even keeping it in house and playing a couple-inning game &#8230; maybe guys from 2005-10 against guys from 2010-15,&#8221; said Casey McGehee, who played for the Brewers from 2009-11 and participated in the home run derby. &#8220;I think there\u2019s a lot of opportunity for some really cool stuff to come from it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said he didn&#8217;t get a chance to watch the alumni derby that followed his team&#8217;s game in Milwaukee, but he liked Murphy&#8217;s idea about branching it out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">&#8220;A big part of the beauty of our sport is how you remember those who played before, the history of our game and had success for your organization or those who made impacts throughout the league,&#8221; McCullough said. &#8220;So anytime we get a chance to celebrate those who did meaningful things, I\u2019m all for it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">The trick in putting together an alumni home-run derby is finding the right participants. They must be old enough to have finished playing but remain young enough to still manage to hit batting-practice pitches out of a major league stadium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">The Brewers didn\u2019t put up makeshift fences in the outfield for this event to make home runs easier, and the former players\u2019 swings weren\u2019t leaving the ballpark as often as when they were in the big leagues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">McGehee believes future home run derby promotions could feature more power than what the ex-Brewers showcased last weekend. McGehee said he tried working on his swing before last week\u2019s event, but family obligations got in the way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">If he gets another invitation, McGehee expects to be more prepared.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">&#8220;I think knowing what we know now, the product would probably even get better because we saw how cool that was,&#8221; McGehee said. &#8220;I think people would be carving out pretty significant parts of their days to get themselves ready to roll.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Reporting by The Associated Press.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-8d19012c=\"\">Want great stories delivered right to your inbox?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com\/newsletter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Create or log in to your FOX Sports account<\/a>, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!<\/p>\n<p>\n        recommended\n      <\/p>\n<p> Arrow pointing to the leftArrow pointing to the right <\/p>\n<p>Item 1 of 3<\/p>\n<p>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MLB.vresize.160.160.medium.0.png\" alt=\"Major League Baseball\" class=\"team-logo\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\"\/> Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Maybe the Home Run Derby doesn\u2019t have to be limited to All-Star weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers had Prince&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49117,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":["post-49116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}