MLB yesterday announced that the format for its Home Run Derby is changing, as the event this year "will feature a seeded eight-player bracket along with timed rounds that could include bonus time based on home run distance," according to Shotgun Spratling of the L.A. TIMES. Instead of a set number of "outs" each round, players will have "five minutes from the release of the first pitch to hit as many home runs as possible with the potential for up to 90 seconds of additional time based on long-distance homers." The Derby timer "will only pause in the final minute after a home run is hit." The clock "will stand in suspension until a player takes a swing that does not result in a home run." The tiebreakers "have also changed." If two players "finish a round even, there will be a 90-second swing-off absent of any stoppages with 'successive three-swing swing-offs until there is a winner,' if the tie remains unbroken" (L.A. TIMES, 6/29). MLB.com's Paul Casella noted contestants "will receive an additional minute of swings if they hit two home runs projected to land 420 feet during a single turn, as well as another 30 seconds if they hit a blast of at least 475 feet," with all distances "measured using Statcast." To streamline the event even further, any round "will immediately end in the event that the second hitter surpasses the first hitter's home run total for that round" (MLB.com, 6/28). YAHOO SPORTS' Mark Townsend wrote the new format is "definitely different." The timing element "has the potential to be quite confusing," which "could do more harm than good." On the other side, the bracket format "should add some drama and make it a little more fun for fans" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/28).
SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE: ESPN's Mike Greenberg said of the format changes, “I’m glad they’re trying it." Greenberg: "It is hard to sit through. For the last couple of years, our job is to get the crowd excited for it, and we did the best we could. But it’s so long and there are such long breaks, they need to tinker with that thing. ... It’s the right thing to do to try something different" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 6/29). MLB Network’s John Smoltz said, “Nobody wants to watch guys take, take, take. Make it more like BP. ... When you take BP, you just have five to seven minutes of your swings. Just make it where the guys just can go out and they do not have to cherry-pick pitches." MLB Network’s Jon Heyman: “The taking bothered me, especially taking strikes. ... These rule changes are great" (“MLB Tonight,” MLB Network, 6/28).
