Reds 3B Todd Frazier "thoroughly entertained the sellout crowd at Great American Ball Park" during last night's Home Run Derby, defeating Dodgers CF Joc Pederson in a new format for the event that "was a hit from the start," according to John Fay of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. Players this year "went head-to-head in a seeded bracket" with timed rounds. MLB "revised things again a couple hours before the derby, shortening the rounds to four minutes from five to beat the forecasted rain." The resulting changes meant fewer pitches were taken, and "drama built as the 'home' hitter (the high seed) got near the end of his four minutes." Frazier: "It made for a little more opportunity. You have to pick it up a little bit. You swing at everything when you're down, no matter how much time you got. When you get the opportunity, you have to hit the ball out no matter where it's pitched." Fay notes the home-field advantage "was a huge one for Frazier." He said, "It had a big-time impact. Just hearing the crowd roar, calling my name, the adrenaline kicked in. It really picked me up. I was able to drive the ball out of the park a lot more. It was really fun. I appreciate that a lot" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/14). In N.Y., Ken Davidoff writes the revised event "enjoyed its finest moments courtesy of Frazier." In the first round, he "tied two-time former winner" -- Rangers 1B Prince Fielder -- with 13 home runs in regulation, and in his bonus time, he "went deep to advance." In the second round, Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson "hit nine round-trippers, and Frazier cracked his 10th at the buzzer, sending the crowd into a frenzy" (N.Y. POST, 7/14). Also in N.Y., Mark Feinsand writes Frazier's "dramatic win" provided a "thrilling ending to the event in its first year under the new bracket-style format" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/14). ESPN’s Eduardo Perez said the park "was electric" last night and fans "were on the edge of their seats” with the new format. Perez: "I have to give it an A+ on what happened here last night.” ESPN's Kevin Negandhi: “No doubt baseball was the winner” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 7/14).
SUCCESS STORY: SI.com's Ben Estes writes the new format "was a rousing success." MLB seemingly made the change because the Home Run Derby "in recent years have had a tendency to drag on." The new timed system "negated that," and it meant that players "basically swung at everything." That "produced more excitement simply because it produced more home runs, 159 of them to be exact, up from 78 last year." There also were "far fewer dud rounds." Gone were the "interminable at-bats that ended in just two or three or even zero home runs." The bracket setup "worked well too, and with each matchup ending as soon as the second competitor hit one more home run than the player he was competing against, the 'walkoff' potential inherent in the second at-bats of each round made for greater entertainment" (SI.com, 7/14). USA TODAY's Ted Berg wrote the Derby's first round "moved far faster than some of the interminable early rounds of recent seasons." The changes "not only made the event easier to follow, but more entertaining: Employing the clock eliminated long delays between swings, and added a sense of urgency and an associated element of buzzer beating" (USATODAY.com, 7/14). MLB.com's Richard Justice wrote the Derby format "worked perfectly" and gave the event a "better pace, especially with a round-robin, single-elimination competition" (MLB.com, 7/14). Justice added on his Twitter account, "Sometimes an evening is so perfect it surpasses every single expectation. The Home Run Derby did just that" (TWITTER.com, 7/14). In Baltimore, Peter Schmuck wrote the new format "is a lot more entertaining than the old one," as the competition "moves at a much more entertaining pace" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 7/13). SPORTING NEWS' Ryan Fagan wrote there was a "sense of urgency Monday night that has often been lacking during previous derby experiences." Fagan: "Maybe best of all, baseball fans got to experience the thrill of a buzzer beater" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 7/13).
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD....YES! CBSSPORTS.com's Matt Snyder wrote under the header, "New Home Run Derby Format A Grand Slam For Major League Baseball." He wrote last night was the "best Home Run Derby ever," as the addition of a clock "ended up breathing life into an event that badly needed to be re-invented." Snyder: "With the clock, we got significantly more swings, significantly more home runs and, yes, significantly more drama. It was action packed" (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/13). SPORTS ON EARTH's Will Leitch writes last night "was a blast" for both casual and hardcore fans. The clock "changed everything." Leitch: "I didn't think the clock would make that much difference, and honestly, I feared it could make it worse. ... But boy was I wrong" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 7/14). FS1's Bill Reiter said, "It was basically the best Home Run Derby I have ever seen. ... I watched with great skepticism and it was amazing. It won me over. It was great" ("Fox Sports Live: Countdown," FS1, 7/13). In Chicago, Kevin O'Brien wrote last night's event was "one of the most entertaining and competitive Home Run Derbies we’ve witnessed in a long, long time" (SUNTIMES.com, 7/13). In Detroit, Brian Manzullo writes the "new-look Home Run Derby was ... well, a home run." It "certainly helped that Cincinnati hosts a bandbox of a ballpark" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/14). In California, Pedro Moura writes the Derby was an "overwhelming success" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 7/14). MLB Network's Paul Severino said, "It's fair to say that this new format led to lots of drama in the first round" ("MLB Tonight: All-Star Edition," MLB Network, 7/13).
NICE CHANGE-UP: ESPN's Karl Ravech said he loved the "timed format" of the event. The "taking of the pitches got a little old" under the previous set-up. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian said the new format "creates a competition between two guys," which is "what the All-Star Game should be about” ("MLB Home Run Derby," ESPN, 7/13). Prior to the derby, Ravech said the new rules are the “ideal way to do it." Kurkjian praised the rule changes made late yesterday and said if MLB kept its initial rules where the clock would stop in the fifth minute, it "might have lasted longer than last year, and this was the concern." Kurkjian: "With so many guys who can hit so far, it would be like the last two minutes of an NBA game. They’d be stopping every second because there’d be so many homers. I like this new way they’re doing it.” ESPN’s Curt Schilling: “Kris Bryant could have been hitting at 3am” ("Baseball Tonight," ESPN, 7/13). MLB Network’s Dan Plesac said, “I like the new rules. ... It was getting too long and too drawn out. A lot of pitchers out there throwing and hitters taking four or five pitches, taking a couple swings, taking a break” (“MLB Tonight: All-Star Batting Practice,” MLB Network, 7/13).
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME: YAHOO SPORTS' Jeff Passan writes last night was the "finest" Home Run Derby since Josh Hamilton's performance at the old Yankee Stadium in '08 and "one of its best ever." That likely would not be the case if Frazier "hadn't stormed Great American Ball Park with the backing of 43,587 fans." Passan: "The symbiosis of Frazier and the clock was perfect: It pushed him and he pushed it, ramping up the drama, tamping up the enjoyment and crescendoing with a memorable Derby victory." While it is "too early to say the clock saved the Derby ... the format unquestionably beat that of the past" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/14). ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes the main storyline from last night was the "bond between one of baseball's most effervescent players and the fans who showered him with unabashed affection." The crowd "chanted his name all night, cheered every out his opponents made and kept his gas tank filled" (ESPN.com, 7/14). ESPN's Skip Bayless wrote on Twitter, "HR Derby just got revitalized by perfect timed format and clutch hometown winner Todd Frazier topping hello-world power display by Joc" (TWITTER.com, 7/13).
