WGN Morning News Blog

Baseball's Home Run Derby was last night, and I fear we're only a year or two away from it going the way of the NBA Slam Dunk contest. Soon we'll have MLB's equivalent of Gerald Green or Fred Jones hoisting the holy homerun trophy.

Now who would that be in baseball?

Matt Holliday? Alex Rios?

Oh wait, those guys are already in the Derby!

Both are fine players, but remember when Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey all competed in the same Derby? Or when Sosa, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi all teed off together?

Granted, there have been exceptions. How in God's name Hee-Seop Choi snuck in there in 2005 still hasn't been explained to me. And I still wonder who John Jaha had naked pictures of in 1999.

The Home Run Derby used to mean something, and it needs to mean something again. Give these guys a reason to compete. Maybe the winner gets a million bucks? Or better yet, Congressional immunity!

I long for the days of the old Home Run Derby- the old black and white TV show from the '50s where stars went head-to-head, and the winner got paid! One week it'd be Mickey Mantle vs. Willie Mays, the next week Ernie Banks vs Harmon Killebrew. None of this 3 round nonsense they have now. Those guys went 9 innings! And when the other guy batted, they had to sit with the play-by-play guy!

"Willie just hit 6 homeruns that inning, Mick. Can you hit 7 to win?"

"Well gee Mark, I sure will try my best. Willie's a great hitter, and 7 is an awful lot."

That was good television! Nervous, nonsensical banter from a guy wondering how he was gonna make that extra 5 grand!

Now what do we get?

"Back, back, back . . . gone!"

At least we still have Vladimir Guerrero.