2008 Derby Recap

SANTA CLARA, 6/22/08: The 6th installment of the annual BAD ASS Baseball Home Run Derby will forever live in controversy. A brisk Goodson wind knocked down and altered the path of many potential home runs and eventually played a role in the derby's dramatic finish.

Quick run down of the rules: Only players who have homered during the current season are eligible. The order is determined by season home runs, from least to most. The defending Champion hits last. Any swing that doesn't result in a home run is an out. Each player bats until they reach 10 outs. The top 4 sluggers advance to the 2nd round which is head-to-head. The winners move on the the Finals. A 5-out playoff decides any ties.

ROUND 1:

Bryan Bush lead off this year's event blasting three balls over the fence. Ruben Gonzalez came inches from putting one over but the ball smacked off the top of the fence and back into the playing field. He would finish his round scoreless, as would Leland Yow. Kevin Holley, participating in his first derby, knocked two over the wall, good enough to advance to Round 2. Rob Flores, B-Rid, David Wagner, Norberto Yanez, and then Andraesen would all fail to homer in their 10 swings. Tito Bernal muscled up for one, but it wouldn't be enough to advance. After Cav Manning went homerless, 2008 Home Run leader, Kevin Kuzmiak, jacked two homers out of the park and advanced to the next round. A late arriving Ed DaRosa couldn't capture the magic of 2006 and went homerless as well. 2007 BAD ASS Derby Champion, Torance Matsui, won Round 1 by driving four balls through the wind and over the fence.

Bryan Bush	3
Ruben Gonzalez	0
Leland Yow	0
Kevin Holley	2
Rob Flores	0
Brandon Ridley	0
David Wagner	0
Norberto Yanez	0
Stoph Andraesen	0
Tito Bernal	1
Cav Manning	0
Kevin Kuzmiak	2
Ed DaRosa (late)	0
Torance Matsui	4

Kuzmiak led off Round 2 with two home runs, which proved to be enough to move on to the Finals once Bush couldn't find his stroke from Round 1. Holley couldn't find his groove either which made things easy for Matsui to advance. Although Holley came close by bouncing a ball off the fence, he came up scoreless. Matsui wasted no time knocking one out to advance.

Only fitting that the Finals matched this years top two sluggers, Matsui and Kuzmiak. Matsui was up first and knocked one out early in the round. With 9 outs, he blasted another over the Blue Monster. His next swing went high and deep but with winds pushed it foul for his final out. Kuzmiak quickly blasted his first homer of the round with just one out. He then went cold and was down to his last out and the derby on the line. His next swing blasted a ball deep down the the 3rd base line and into the wind. Ridley, standing behind the plate on the line signaled it foul, as did Flores standing near 3rd base. Bush who was originally standing under the foul pole was out of position because he was chasing a ball. Gonzalez, standing on the line at the foot of the playground ruled the ball fair. After a brief discussion, the ball was ruled a home run. The derby was now tied....but not for long. Kuzmiak's next swing was a no-doubter, deep over the fence in left center, crowning a new BAD ASS Derby Champion.

-Matsui pitched to 8 of the 14 first round batters. Manning and Bernal each pitched to 3.

-Matsui chose Flores to pitch the Finals after Manning pitched to him the first 2 rounds.

-Greg Minor brought the fences and was the only BAD ASS present who did not compete in the derby.

-Learning from last year's police visit, all beer that was present was concealed and out of public view...

-However, said beer was left littered throughout the dugout, leaving Matsui and DaRosa to clean up.

-The two derby finalists were captains. Kuzmiak's Team of Shenanigans defeated Matsui's Team of Truth 16-13.

-Tiny Small Penis: Ridley, late in the game he asks Yow if he could bunt. The Commish reminds him its illegal. He then asks if he could chop swing and Yow gives him the OK. Ridley then chops a ball perfectly down the 1st base line; however, he also ran in that direction, which is the wrong way in the backwards game.

-Several batters running down the wrong base line: Gonzalez, Bernal, Andraesen, Ridley, and Wagner.

-Wagner did it twice, most notably when he hit a ball deep over the outfielders but could only muster a single.

-Kuzmiak disgusted by seeing Yow playing rightfield during the 'Backwards Game,' blasted a ball well over Holley's head in center for an easy inside the park homer.

-Play of the Game: Matsui caught in a pickle between 3rd and 2nd base (remember this is the backwards game), Gonzalez drops the ball which would have easily made Matsui out. Matsui runs to 2nd and notices no one covering 1st. Almost the entire Shenanigan team then ran after Matsui to try, but unsuccessfully get him out.