by Tom Stewart

Created on: July 12, 2010

The Home Run Derby is an exhibition contest held every season on the day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Since 1985, baseball’s best home run hitters have competed to see who can hit the most pitches out of the park. Over the years, the contest has grown with such popularity that in 1993 the ESPN network began broadcasting the event with major sponsorships from prominent companies like Century 21 and State Farm Insurance.

During the first five years of the Home Run Derby, the contest would last for 2 innings with each player getting 5 outs per inning to hit as many home runs as possible. In 1991 the rules were changed to its current format of three rounds in which 8 or 10 players, 4 or 5 from the American League and 4 or 5 from the National League, would compete. At the end of the first round the 4 players with the most home runs would advance to round two. Originally each player’s home run totals would reset at the start of round two but starting in 2006 a rule change was made so that the players first round home run totals would be added to their second round totals. The two players with the most homeruns from both rounds advance to the final round. In the final round, each player’s home run total is reset so that the player with the most home runs in the final round is the Home Run Derby winner regardless of how many home runs he has hit overall. In the event of a tie during any of the rounds a five swing ‘swing-off’ is used to determine the winner.

Traditionally the players in the Home Run Derby represent their respective leagues, but in 2005 Major League Baseball changed their designations to have each player representing the country they were from. Each of the eight participants were from 8 different countries. It was called an experiment but was considered by most to be a publicity scheme to raise interest in the first World Baseball Classic scheduled to start in March of 2006. The next year the format was changed back. In 2005 a promotional gold baseball was instituted into the game. Once a batter has 9 outs against him, the pitcher switches to gold baseballs for that batter. For every home run hit with a gold baseball Major League Baseball along with a sponsor will donate money to charity. So far close to a million dollars has been donated through this promotion.

Over the years players have felt pressure from the fans to participate in the Home Run Derby but have also felt

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