The only question now is how long before Stanton comes back to grace baseball fans with another power display again.
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Griffey is the only three-time victor of the event (1997-99) and he had better overall performances.
In an interview, Stanton stated that this is where he got his childhood memories, watching the Home Run Derby as a child.
“When I get a few in a row I would kind of bump it up 5 to 10 percent”, Stanton said. A 30-second bonus was awarded when any player hit two or more balls over 440 feet in distance.
He totaled 61 home runs, the most hit in a Derby (albeit under different rules than all but the last two). He hit the most home runs in every round and finished with the largest output in single Derby history.
He had 20 of the 21 longest home runs in the competition, including the eight longest home runs.
Cano’s night was not without its highlights; he went on a homer binge late in his round, going over the wall with four of his final five swings. The other one? Mark Trumbo, hitting the scoreboard, something it looked like everyone were aiming for. Nicknamed for the Herculean home run hitter (“The House that Ruth Built”), the right field seats were in danger because of the long balls exploding off the bat of Josh Hamilton.
That occasion could include Marlins ace Jose Fernandez swinging for the fences in a hitting competition among pitchers. He defeated defending chamion Todd Frazier, 20-13.
It’s certainly ironic that Stanton won his first derby in the year he wasn’t also named an All-Star (he’s made the team three times).
The Marlins’ slugger blew past 2011 champion Robinson Cano in the opening round and Mark Trumbo, now the top slugger in the majors, in the semifinals. Having 20 long-balls at season break, Stanton could even potentially set a career high, and surpass his personal best of 37.
“If anybody sees the way I swing it’s pretty much unorthodox, to be honest”, he said.
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Luckily for the Marlins, MLB Advanced Media, who is in charge of team sites, does not allow a conditional promotion such as this one to discount tickets more than 25%, team president David Samson told ESPN’s Darren Rovell.
