My favorite Home Run Derby will always be the one the Red Sox held against the Yankees at Fenway Park in 2007.pic.twitter.com/WcHECy9vtu — Red (@SurvivingGrady) July 19, 2022
I never bet on any event that comes down to judges’ decisions. Why ? well one : judges are stupid. Two: they may often be trying to impress someone to get their next gig. Three: they may have money on it themselves ( Allegedly. ) Four : they may not want to be sent to a Soviet gulag. All perfectly reasonable examples as to why not to toss down hard earned cash on a contest. Didn’t think this could happen in a Home Run Derby think again.
Kyle Schwarber hits 20 in OT, but ESPN forgets to count homerun #18. Robbery in the Ravine. pic.twitter.com/luIhUuWiRa — Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) July 19, 2022
For some reason ESPN who televised last night’s HR derby and MLB who scored the event BOTH screwed up not just once but twice in the simple act of counting. Yes, what any kindergartener could have done. ESPN and MLB couldn’t . And that affected a lot of pockets around the country.
Albert Pujols and Kyle Schwarber were going mono e mono in the first round of the brackets ,Pujols was awarded a 20 home runs to 19 home runs victory over Kyle from Waltham. But it was quickly revealed that a Schwarber home run – what would’ve been number 18 – was not counted. The score should’ve been tied, sending Pujols and Schwarber to a sudden death overtime. But that wasn’t the case, and Pujols advanced, allowing plenty of sportsbooks to cash in (Schwarber was one of the favorites to win the event, but eliminated in the first round).
The moment Juan Soto became a #HRDerby champ! pic.twitter.com/VoSXTeczj9 — MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2022
Then in the finals a different situation was allowed to happen giving Nat’s Juan Soto a cheated victory over the Mariners Julio Rodriguez. Soto kept launching dingers illegally while the clock was winding down. Derby rules clearly state a pitcher may not throw his next pitch until the last batted ball has landed. That didn’t happen in the finals and Soto racked up 19 long balls. Giving him one more than Rodriguez. Also altering all of the sportsbooks that took action on last night’s contest.
The moral to the story.
Always follow Murphy’s Law : NEVER bet when some idiot who can’t do simple math has the final word.
As always you can follow/give me grief on Twitter @Tmurph207