Harper hit nine home runs in ten swings in 90-seconds during the final round in front of 43,698 fansGETTY IMAGES
Nationals RF Bryce Harper "put on a show" last night in winning the MLB Home Run Derby over Cubs LF Kyle Schwarber, according to Jorge Castillo of the WASHINGTON POST. Harper delivered the "resounding performance the 43,698 people in attendance wanted" as he hit "nine home runs on 10 swings in a 90-second span to tie" Schwarber in regulation in the final before passing him during bonus time. Harper "flipped his bat when he launched No. 19" to win before he "jumped up and down" as teammates Ps Max Scherzer and Sean Doolittle brought the winner's trophy out to him (WASHINGTON POST, 7/17). USA TODAY's Steve Gardner writes Harper winning the event is "perhaps his finest single moment of his young career." He showed a "flair for the dramatic that felt like something straight out of a backyard game." While the victory "came in a frivolous exhibition, it nonetheless was a remarkable moment in what could be his final year as a National" (USA TODAY, 7/17). CNBC’s Dominic Chu said, “It may be the slowest sports week of the year, but it was loud and hot in Washington, DC, last night” (“Worldwide Exchange,” CNBC, 7/17).
PUTTING ON A SHOW: MLB.com's Jamal Collier writes Harper gave the fans in attendance the "show they had so eagerly anticipated." They "roared when he was introduced before the start of the Derby" and did so "again as he stepped to the plate and pointed to the DC flag bandanna around his head." As he "started crushing the ball into the stands, Nationals Park became electric" (MLB.com, 7/17). ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick writes under the header, "Bryce Brings Down The House With Epic Home Run Derby Comeback." Harper "fed off the crowd," and by the time he began the final round, the event had "ascended to full-fledged baseball theatre." Harper was caught on camera "skipping down the runway and bounding up the steps like Rocky Balboa" prior to the finals, and the crowd "erupted when he emerged to take aim at Schwarber" (ESPN.com, 7/17). In N.Y., Ken Davidoff writes Harper "didn’t just win the Home Run Derby in front of his home crowd" -- he did so with "drama and flair." With the crowd "chanting, 'Let’s Go Harper!' the man of the hour ran from the home clubhouse to the field as if he were Rocky Balboa entering the ring" (N.Y. POST, 7/17). ESPN's Karl Ravech said, "What a night for Harper, a chance to establish, and re-establish, himself as 'The Man' in Washington when it comes to baseball." Ravech added, "Couldn't have asked for a better night for the hometown fans that sold the place out for Bryce Harper" ("Home Run Derby," ESPN, 7/16).
HARPER'S STAR SHINES: THE RINGER's Clair McNear writes when Harper "tied Schwarber’s 18-home-run mark with a second to spare in the finals, Nats Park shook." The "big kid who would make baseball fun again did, for at least one night, exactly that" (THERINGER.com, 7/17). YAHOO SPORTS' Jeff Passan writes this was "the Bryce Harper the world always wanted to see and the baseball world can’t get enough of, the star in a sport sorely lacking them." The one who is "likeable and cool and creates moments that sear themselves into history." This was Harper "fulfilling a mission statement uttered in 2016: make baseball fun again" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/17). SI.com's Emma Baccellieri wrote Harper looked "exactly like what he can be at his best, complete with cathartic fist pumps and a sweet bandana and a celebratory bat flip." Baccellieri: "Given the setting and his first-half performance, the spotlight was always going to be on him tonight -- but he shone so brightly that you couldn't have missed him" (SI.com, 7/16). In Chicago, Paul Sullivan writes Harper not only showed "how talented he is, but how much he adds to the game when he shows off his personality." Sullivan: "He may play the role of 'Johnny Drama,' but at least he’s interesting, which is something not every baseball star can say" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/17).
THE BEST EVER? ESPN's Trey Wingo wonders if last night was the "best Home Run Derby ever." He compared it to the '99 event at Fenway Park, which was "pretty special" with a field highlighted by Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. ESPN’s Mike Golic said, “What makes it different is we saw a record number of home runs last night. But the bottom line is they were not the monster names, outside of Bryce Harper. ... Everybody else was a first-timer in it. When there are names in it, it’s that much better. But last night I didn't care what the names were. It was exciting.” Wingo: “It was a show, it was entertaining television. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s supposed to be” (“Golic & Wingo,” ESPN Radio, 7/17). FS1's Nick Wright said, "That's as good as a Home Run Derby can be. You can't have a more compelling Home Run Derby" ("First Things First," FS1, 7/17).
TWITTER REAX: Astros P Justin Verlander: "Was that the best #HomeRunDerby ever last night?? So much fun to watch. @Bharper3407 winning it in dramatic fashion for the hometown crowd!! #awesome." MASN's Mark Zuckerman: "If you’re someone who doesn’t like Bryce Harper, watch his post-Derby press conference and tell me you still don’t like him." The Athletic's Jayson Stark: "This Derby summed up exactly why people buzz about Bryce Harper even when he's hitting .214. How about that feel for the moment?" DC-based WTTG-TV's Grant Paulsen: "Harper yelling about how much he loves the crowd. Pointing to the Nationals logo praising the organization. His manager on field lifting him up. Scherzer and Doolittle jumping around like kids. Great night for the Nats." NBC Sports Washington's Michael Jenkins: "When you put on a headband, coif your hair and point to the camera before you step to the plate, you better win the Home Run Derby. Bryce Harper won the Home Run Derby." WFAN's Mike Francesa: "In this ridiculous sports world we live in, Bryce Harper’s HR Derby performance means bigger $ in free agency. Remember it is glorified batting practice."
STILL BENEFITING FROM FORMAT CHANGE: SI.com's Jon Tayler wrote the Derby "proved once again that MLB absolutely nailed it with the format change." There was an "energy shift in the crowd when we hit the one-minute mark in every round, or when guys started ripping homers in bunches." Harper’s winning charge "wouldn’t have been half as fun or exciting if it hadn’t come as close to the wire as it did." Tayler: "Against all odds, an event that before frequently lapsed into long stretches of boring pop-ups or exhausted sluggers winning with single-digit totals in the last round has become the league’s must-see event during the break, and a better time than the All-Star Game itself" (SI.com, 7/16).
