Quote:
Originally Posted by gonefishin
I don't know Brent Rooker and have never been to an Athletics game, and with that said:
I witnessed one of the most stupid and self-serving events in major league baseball last night during the Home Run Derby. This is the Home Run Derby - not the longest hit ball derby! To not have a bat-off between Rooker and Raleigh is absolutely horrible.
Rooker sitting and feeding his newborn with a bottle between batters probably made Rob Manfred pounce like a lion on a zebra.
Let's see, according to MLB Raleigh's home run traveled 470.61 feet. Brent Rooker's traveled 470.53. A difference of .08 of a foot. Hummmm. So, in the home run derby, not the longest ball derby, Raleigh wins.
Also, Rooker only received 38 balls - not 40 as the other batters. He was supposed to get 2 warm up balls, but the balls were not returned to the pitcher, so he only got 38.
This competition is for $1 million dollars. This is more than most people make in the lifetime.
I've been trying to figure out why I have become an Athletics fan over the last few years and don't really know why. Maybe it's because MLB keeps on crapping on one of the most storied baseball teams in history - the Athletics!
Maybe because Brent Rooker has scratched and clawed his way into the lineup and always just keeps being professional and positive. From what I've read, he has a lot of things going against him in MLB; he is handsome, polite, religious, family man with 2 daughters (one a newborn), and seems to accept and appreciate everything that comes his way.
If anyone out there thinks what happened last night was fair, please let me know why. If anyone agrees with me that it was bullshit, let me know that also.
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I was surprised they didn't have a swing-off in case of a tie. Apparently that was going to happen in the last 2 rounds. As for the number of balls he got, they got 40 or 3 minutes in the first round. There were a few other batters that ran out of time before they got all 40 balls thrown to them so I'm not sure that is a valid complaint for Rooker.
I'm also not sure what you're complaining about regarding the A's and MLB. From what I've read, the A's owner is responsible for the position they're currently in - playing in a AAA stadium for at least the next 3 years with maybe a stadium being built in Las Vegas for them to move to. I'm pretty sure MLB didn't put them in that situation and can't be happy that they are in it.